The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation
by Amputation
Summary: THE REWRITE! It started with a song played far above Sheldon's acceptable decibel levels. Sheldon/Penny Slightly AU from the season 4 episode The Roommate Transmogrification.
1. Commence

**A/N: **So, here's the REWORKED chapter one of this fiction. I've deleted all the old chapters from the old story, so I hope my old alertists and whatnot get the news! Hooray! If you're familiar with the original, it's similar to the first version but has been updated to be slightly AU before the season 4 episode The Roommate Transmogrification. If you're a new reader, welcome and I hope you like it! Enjoy, and as always, please review and tell me what you think!

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><p>Always up for a laugh, she's a pain in the ass<br>Every time that we meet, I skip a  
>Heartbeat.<p>

"Heartbeat," Scouting for Girls

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>Sheldon glowered for perhaps the hundredth time within the past half hour, shooting a crazed and twitchy glare at the door. It was bad enough that his food had gone cold, but the incessant thudding that came from his blonde ignoramus of a neighbor's apartment was slowly driving him insane. Ever since her—as Wolowitz put it—"messy" schism from Leonard, she had become more secluded, to say the least. Aside from her weekly "girls' nights" with both Amy Farrah-Fowler and Bernadette, Sheldon rarely saw her aside from rare occasions, like the Bathroom Emergency. Leonard had begun seeing Pria—their relationship being the reason he'd needed to see Penny during the Bathroom Emergency—and it was a relationship Sheldon found uninteresting, pointless, and annoying; just like the homunculus' field of work was.<p>

Despite the loss of his roommate's company, he felt comfortable in the solace of his own companionship; unless one of his incredibly obtuse neighbors suddenly decided that playing ridiculous music far above reasonable decibel levels was socially acceptable. Sheldon felt the familiar tic around his left eye and the twitching of his upper lip as his face twisted into an expression of unadulterated irritation. This raucous disruption of his working time required instantaneous cessation!

Sheldon switched his XPS laptop into sleep mode and stood from his work desk, stalking like a predacious praying mantis to the door of his apartment. Heading across the hall, he paused in front of the door from which the loud sounds emanated. His eye persisted in its twitching and he felt the veins under his skin pulse dangerously as his ire continued to rise.

_Her music is decibels above any socially acceptable level._

He knocked thrice in rapid succession, "Penny!" Repeat the tri-knock, "Penny!" Repeat again, "Penn—"

The door slowly swung inward, a soft creak releasing from the obviously un-oiled hinges and leaving Sheldon standing awkwardly with his fist in the air. The theoretical physicist scowled as his aggravation increased exponentially.

_Really? Penny, you have—once again—frustrated me. Have I not often and repeatedly explained to you the simple, yet incredibly important social norm of locking one's own door?_

Sheldon stuck his head into her apartment, a tirade spewing from between his lips before he even was aware he had one to begin with.

"Penny, you have left your apartment unsecured, and thus I am now present to explain that your music is far too—" Sheldon's eyes widened at the scene before him and his words died in his throat.

The "beautiful mind" of Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD was rendered into a state of shock as it was a purely visceral response to the signals his retinas were sending to his brain. The blonde woman was dancing around her apartment, completely unaware of his presence. Her wavy, golden hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, the shimmering strands going back and forth with each sway and grind her body performed. The motions sent shivers up his spine, causing him to look around for a drafty or open window for a logical explanation of his body's sudden reaction usually only brought about by a chill.

He was unsure of why he was unable to remove his gaze from her lascivious motions as her body convulsed in a way that seemed reminiscent of primal mating dances he had seen performed by other mammals on the National Geographic channel. It made his breath catch in his throat—he felt around his pockets for his emergency inhaler on instinct—the way her eyes closed gently and her lips parted so she could breathe through another orifice to provide better oxygen to her muscles. Sheldon's scientific mind soon became lost to the primal side that rarely was accessed. He continued to stare. She was sweating, indicative that her activities had been going on for some time. The time frame in which she participated in said activity was also signified by her accelerated inspiration and expiration rates and the glowing flush of her body.

Sheldon observed her attire and found himself surprised, although a bit red in the face. Was he feverish? He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead to check his temperature as he gazed at Penny. She wore a tight, faded blue t-shirt with the Superman symbol stretched over her substantial—and braless, he noted from her protruding nipples—bosom, matched with a pair of light cerulean undergarments with the symbol repeated on the front and the words "his woman" in all caps stretched across her gluteus maximus. Her feet were clad in white tube socks that were reminiscent of the style he wore.

He contemplated for a moment as to where and when she had obtained both the shirt and socks, referencing his mental calendar and the dates he knew Penny to have gone shopping before he realized he was staring at a full-grown, non-related, and socially-dictated-attractive female without her knowledge. Immediately, Sheldon panicked; his heart palpitating madly in his chest as he bolted from her apartment, shutting the door quietly and leaning against it.

_Good lord! What has just transpired? Is that concupiscent combination of chaos and form what she calls _dancing_?_

Sheldon forced himself to take deep breaths as he waited for his heart rate to drop back down to normal. He assumed his asthma was acting up when he struggled to breathe as he recalled her movements. She called such an act "dance?" Surely she didn't; waltz was dance, pure and organized … _that_ was merely chaotic and without rhyme or reason! He ran a hand over his face, as though the motion could remove the images from his mind—which obviously was impossible, he told himself, as he had an eidetic memory.

_Her perspiration was rather heightened, as was her breathing pattern, and more than likely her pulse as well … her shirt clung nicely to her boso—_

Sheldon felt his heart rate increase and he shut his eyes tightly, focusing on another aspect.

—Superman_? I for one never would have assumed she was a fan of the man of steel. And matching undergarments? When did she go out for clothing? She never did for that sort of thing, I would have known. She only went shoe shopping with Amy Farrah-Fowler and Bernadette as of late. Obviously, that shirt belonged to someone else as well as the socks. I did lose my extra small Superman shirt a while back, along with a few pairs of socks. …does she have my clothes? A woman has the nerve to be wearing my clothing?_

Sheldon's eyes widened and he felt his heart race at the notion, suddenly feeling budding warmth in his stomach that was unfamiliar. He banished his thoughts.

_Why? It potentially is exercise. Perhaps the primal nature of it—pheromones, perspiration, respiration—is what creates an image of venereal, coital activities. Dare I say it arouses erotic preconceptions?_

Sheldon became more flustered, feeling warmer by the second as a fire seemed to be alit in his stomach while images of Penny dancing in her undergarments flooded his mind.

_Why alone? For practice?_

He groaned and dragged his hand down his face, skulking back to his own apartment, questions and curiosities flying around his head at a million miles a second. He shut the door more firmly than necessary, pressing his head against the wood in a feeble attempt to clear his mind. He settled down at his computer, fully intent on ignoring all the chaos swirling unchecked in his psyche. He remained seated for all of a minute before he stood and began pacing the floor like a man gone mad. The thoughts would not leave him alone, quite like when he had a lead on proving string theory. He turned, glaring at his whiteboard, actually contemplating on erasing his current work and writing down his emotional turmoil. He shook his head as though the motion could eliminate such an impulsive urge. As much as he was loath to admit it, he required female opinion. His gaze shot back to his laptop and he once again sat in his computer chair. He needed to request the assistance of Amy Farrah-Fowler via web chat.

"Sheldon, I didn't expect a call from you," she said, adjusting her thick-rimmed glasses on her nose.

"I apologize, Amy, but I unfortunately require your advice. You did not get 'cray-zay' last night, did you?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No, I did not, although I appreciate the menial inquiry that could imply small-talk …so, Sheldon, what subject did you need advice on?"

"I have experienced some strange symptoms recently …"

She bent away from the laptop, revealing the poster behind her of a brain with all the parts labeled. He blinked, studying it for a moment until his friend reappeared on the screen.

She revealed a small notepad and a clicked open a pen, squinting at him expectantly, "And they are?"

He listed them off as though reading a grocery list, "Mild dyspnea, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, feverish chills, hyperhidrosis, and a strange feeling in my stomach; it was almost like a somewhat-pleasant nausea."

Amy finished scribbling, her gaze darting over the words she had written. She looked up and stared at him, pushing her drooping spectacles back up her nose. Her eyes dropped down to the notepad and then back to him.

"Sheldon, do you remember when I experienced a physical attraction to the ex-partner of my bestie?"

He paused, the memory coming easily to mind.

"Of course I do, Amy. I have an eidetic memory. What does that have to do with my situation?"

"I believe you are experiencing a similar reaction."

He was flabbergasted. How could he possibly be physically attracted to anything? He, a homo novus, was showing signs and symptoms of physical attraction toward a homo sapien? It seemed impossible to his scientific mind. His only love was theoretical physics, and she was a demanding mistress. He was about to rebuff his comrade-in-science when a strange inspiration hit him.

"If you experienced something similar, was it perhaps the primal aspects of what you witnessed that drew you to Penny's … ex?"

Amy blinked back at him, "Yes, I believe so. Why?"

"It can be assumed that such aspects have the same or similar effects on members of the opposite sex?"

She nodded, "It's highly probable, more than likely true. Perhaps you should experiment to prove such an assumption?"

Sheldon's blue eyes lit up as a strangely creepy grin found its way across his face, one eyebrow rising as he plotted.

"I shall test this hypothesis and I, Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, will learn to dance like Penny."

"Wait, you walked in on my bestie dancing?"

Sheldon shot her a look that clearly said "I don't want to talk about it" and bid farewell, exiting Skype. Gathering his laptop, he retreated to his bedroom in order to devise a proper protocol and process.

**-T-B-B-T-**

Raj, Howard, and Leonard sat in the living room while Pria stood in the kitchen with an amused expression as the trio barely held onto their sanity as the song "Sexy Bitch" started over once again. The Indian pulled at his hair, staring at Leonard with a pleading gaze and tone.

"What is with Sheldon? It is Halo night! Why is he listening to _this_ and locked in his room?"

Howard scowled, obviously irritated with the excessive repetition of the popular dance song.

"Yeah. As much as I appreciate the lyrics of this fine piece of art, he has been locked in his room listening to it for _HOURS_!" the short man snapped, glaring darkly down the hallway that led to the perpetrator's room.

Leonard groaned, resting his head on his propped up arms and slouching in the armchair; he was distressed and worn down from the incessant repetition. Pria came up behind him and rubbed his back as he spoke.

"The hell if I know. All he said was that it was for an experiment."

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><p><strong>AN: **If you didn't read the top A/N you probably should. Please review!


	2. Succor

**A/N: **So, here's chapter two all new, and shiny, and edited! Hooray! I hope everyone enjoys and as always, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I love to hear your thoughts! (I accept anonymous reviews! hint hint)

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><p>And I knew the solitude of heart,<br>And I knew the murmurs of the soul,  
>And the world is drawn into your hands.<p>

"Muzzle," The Smashing Pumpkins

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

Penny hummed under her breath along with a song playing on the radio as she cleaned her apartment, running the Swiffer across the floor. She smiled to herself. Three years ago when Sheldon snuck into her apartment and cleaned it while she slept, she found herself making a point to tidy up thoroughly, usually twice a week, so her Whack-a-doodle neighbor wouldn't have a conniption fit like he always did when even the smallest thing was out of order. Plopping down onto her couch, she looked around in pride, but something felt off. Perhaps it was because Sheldon didn't clean for her. She pouted slightly; it was never quite as perfect when she was the one with the rubber gloves on. Sighing, she inhaled the sparkling scent of PineSol and Pledge. Both chemicals had become recent additions to her growing collection of Swiffer dusters, vacuums and other cleaning products. Penny shut her eyes and toyed with the hem of her stolen shirt.

She hadn't realized she'd taken it until she had been back in her apartment. She'd always wondered what his fascination with the childish superhero t-shirts was from and even now she still didn't know. When one of his shirts—one she had only seen him wear once, mind you—had found its way into her laundry basket, her curiosity had been at max. Once alone, she'd noticed it and panicked. He would totally go off his rocker if he knew she had it, so she went to fold it nicely to bring it to him. Having it in her hands, she suddenly realized how _wonderful_ it smelled and how ridiculously soft it was. He really was amazing with laundry.

Before she fully grasped what she was doing, she'd snuggled the t-shirt and pulled off her own shirt to wear his. It had fit like a glove—and still did—although it was rather tight across her chest. She'd reveled in the scent that she finally acknowledged as Sheldon's. She hadn't realized he smelled so damn _good _before then, and she never missed things like that.

After the day she stole his shirt—and eventually a pair of his socks—Penny made a habit to go out and purchase more superhero paraphernalia. She had the whole nine yards in clothing eventually, although she never wore them out of the apartment. Her favorite thing she owned was still technically not hers, but the t-shirt was far above and beyond importance and she held it very close to her heart.

She and Sheldon had never _really _gotten along. It took an amazing amount of patience to put up with him, and she knew it took a lot of his own seemingly-non-existent tolerance to put up with her "idiotic corn-fed" self. It hurt more than she let on sometimes when he insulted her. But being the good Midwestern farm girl she was, she forced a smile and fought back, even though inside her heart was broken. Big girls don't cry, she always told herself, thank god for that mantra, Fergie!

Penny never really gave her heart pains much thought until her boys came back from the arctic. When she found out what the three of them had done to a—strangely bearded—Sheldon, she wanted to comfort him as she stewed in a silent fury. When she saw him curled up on his mattress, she'd wanted so badly to just hold him and stroke his back and tell him it was going to be alright. But she didn't. She didn't touch him because he didn't like physical contact. Inwardly, Penny still wished she'd comforted him that day.

She didn't fully realize she was even remotely interested in her neurotic friend until he became her personal hero the day she fell in the shower. After that incident and his singing of "Soft Kitty," she began to show interest in what her nerdy friends did for a living and began to wonder how to end things cleanly with Leonard.

She'd thought she'd like being with Leonard, but how could she like a man when she needed to be drunk as a skunk to have sex with him? It wasn't that he was unattractive or mean, but their chemistry wasn't sparking quite like she'd hoped it would. She'd wanted to date a "nice guy" for once, and Leonard had been there, but the glow was absent … she felt like she was with him for a sense of security and affection more than anything now.

Every time Sheldon gave her that angry stare as though he was trying to make her head explode with his mind, Penny felt like her heart would fly out of her chest. She had no idea he could have that much of an effect on her when Leonard's affections only made her smile. It was a strange and drastic difference, but for the sake of making her relationship work, she ignored it. When she broke it off with him at bowling—damn Wesley, screwing with her mind—he'd only pissed her off and clung like a desperate and pathetic excuse for a man. He'd really been an obnoxious homunculus then. It was obvious at that point things wouldn't work out and her respect for Leonard dropped. It was why she so easily was able to tease Leonard with Pria over his mannerisms, digestive issues, and funky bedroom habits.

Sure, she felt pain over the break-up, but in all truth, Sheldon was kind of always her favorite. She'd been more drawn to him the day they'd met and to be honest, he _was_ rather cute. He was different than other guys in more ways than the obvious. He didn't dote on her like the guys did, instead dismissing her and treating her as "one of them." He challenged her. He forced her to learn, teaching her about Leonard's unnecessary and pointless work (Penny remembered the look on his face when she dissed him and laughed) despite her obliviousness to actually picking things up from her boys' conversations. In his own way, Sheldon was educating her and she appreciated it more than anything.

When Amy Farrah-Fowler came into the picture, the aspiring actress had felt very possessive of him and although she joked about "Shamy" with everyone else, inwardly her heart suffered. There was that one moment when Amy claimed she had sex with Sheldon and then was carrying his kid which nearly had Penny go into shock and heartbreak. It was a "social experiment" as the two later explained to her relief. Thankfully, neither of them had any interest in dating one another, and despite Amy's witness to her tears over Leonard and spiteful words about Pria, she knew Sheldon mattered more than the bi-speckled man ever had, or would. She smiled to herself as she thought of the tall, delicious smelling, lanky genius whom she adored so dearly. Her thoughts of the physicist were cut off as the three rapid knocks she had grown so familiar with rapped against her door.

"Penny."

She panicked, running into her bedroom to grab a sweatshirt and some pajama pants to hide the t-shirt and her panties as the second succession echoed in the apartment.

"Penny."

Sliding to a stop before the door, her hand hovered over the knob as he finished his knocking. Halfway through her name, she opened the door, a genuine grin on her face.

"Hi Sheldon, what's up?"

He frowned at her, looking a bit uncomfortable for some reason but she chalked it up to his irritation at her interruption of his knocking pattern and stared into his blue eyes warmly.

"It pains me to be reduced to asking someone like you for help, but alas it must be done in the name of science."

She raised an eyebrow, surprised and a bit offended. He didn't take note, drawing in a deep breath and continuing, "Penny, I need assistance with my current experiment."

She glared at him, jabbing a finger in his face, "Tell me what the experiment is before I agree to help."

He scowled, his eye twitching slightly. His tic; how cute. She resisted the urge to smile at him, feeling the corners of her lips curling upwards.

"I am attempting to prove that the same activity can result in the same response when performed by both male and females of the same or similar species."

She rolled her eyes at the man before her, gesturing for him to come inside. He followed her to the old couch and took his seat beside her like they often did when making Penny Blossoms.

"So, why didja' come to me rather than to Leonard? Or Raj? Or even Howard?"

He sighed in his Sheldon-y way, "None of those you listed are of the opposite sex, nor are any of them adept in social function."

"Well, what about Amy?"

"Again, although she is far more educated than you, she would be a poor choice as I am aware that you commonly go out with Amy and Bernadette to dance … and seeing as you dragged me along with you once, I understand that you understand such social activities better than Amy. I am my own test subject in this experiment and thus I must learn to do as such."

Penny stared, filtering his words through her Sheldonese translator, blinking a few times. It took her a few moments to finally get what he was asking, and she could tell by the changing look on his face that he was getting antsy, or was that irritated?

"So," she furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "you're asking me for help" she paused, "to learn to _dance_?"

He nodded impassively, "Precisely."

"Ooh-kay …" Penny was surprised and a bit dumbfounded that the I-don't-dance Sheldon (except for waltz, rumba, and cha-cha from Cotillion training, she recalled …) suddenly had the desire to learn. She was also a bit flattered because he considered her someone whom he could ask questions about social behavior. It was nice, in that strange Sheldon way of his.

"So you will assist me?"

She nodded, smiling, "Yeah, sweetie. Sure I will. What kind of dancing do you need to learn since you already know three?"

She watched curiously as the usually unemotional man's face slowly flooded with color. He cleared his throat, averting his eyes to his hands in his lap.

"I must master modern dance. Those performed at dance clubs, like the ones you so often frequent, for example. Perhaps the tango, seeing as it is widely considered the most … _intimate_ of all dances."

Penny coughed; her eyes wide as saucers. He wanted to learn to _bump and grind? Pop-and-lock? Hip-Hop? Holy crap on a cracker!_

"Um, Sheldon, are you sure about this? People get all up in your business … meaning they _touch _you, sweetie."

He nodded, "Absolutely. I believe I can tolerate my personal space being infringed upon in the name of science."

"Well, it's not easy and it takes a lot of practice, meaning a lot of time out of your schedule."

"I am well aware. I have a bit of, oh what's the colloquial term, ah, yes. I have a bit of 'wiggle room' in it upon examination."

Penny frowned. While he had his "wiggle room," did she have it? A quick mental check said she did but part of her was yelling in protest. After all, what was she getting out of teaching the lanky genius to dance … Aside from getting to touch him, of course! Inwardly she cheered when suddenly the solution hit her. Sheldon was about to speak when she silenced him with a finger in the air.

"Tell you what, if I'm gonna' help you, you're gonna' help me."

He glowered, whining, "Oh, what now?"

The infamous Junior Rodeo glare was sent in his direction and he visibly shrunk from her insinuated wrath.

"Sheldon, watch it. Here's the deal, take it or leave it … you know what, feel free to make a contract, too. Okay, if you're expecting me to help you, you're gonna' help me practice my lines for my next audition."

Sheldon stared at her before averting his gaze to elsewhere in the room, and she could tell the gears in his beautiful mind were spinning, calculating pros and cons. He blinked and his eyes locked to hers, "Very well. I shall write up a contract."

He stood and walked to the door and Penny got up to follow him, standing in the doorframe as he exited the apartment. He paused and turned around in the middle of the hallway, facing her again.

"I'll be back tomorrow with the contract for you to sign."

She grinned, "Alright, Moonpie. Bye!"

The door shut in his infuriated face and Penny giggled to herself as she heard him shout at her.

"Don't call me Moonpie!"

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><p><strong>AN: **Again, please review! It doesn't take very long and the button is right below this message! Please and thank you!


	3. Primary Edification

**A/N: **Thank you all who have supplied me with wonderful feedback! I really appreciate all your kind words and even the criticism. I have been thinking that perhaps when I finish with this current project, I'll compile all the old chapters back into one document and post them under the old link in case my readers wish to compare. Anyway, here's the third installment of the revised TGDR! Enjoy and as always, please PLEASE review!

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><p>Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts,<br>because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life;  
>it is life itself.<p>

Havelock Ellis

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>Sheldon knocked in his typical three-pound pattern and after the third series of knocks, the door swung open for him. Staring down from his height of six feet at the grinning, smaller blonde in the doorway, he handed Penny the thick stack of paper that was the contract, fully expecting her to sign it and allow him to retreat back to his room.<p>

"Here is the contract. On the front page I'll need you to sign here indicating your compliance with the terms of our agreement and initial here, here, and here."

He pointed to the specific areas she was to sign and when he looked back to her face, he was thrown for a bit of a loop when the blonde chuckled at him.

"Come on in and we can get started now!" she grinned cheerfully and stepped into her apartment, sauntering over to the kitchen area. Her nonchalance was a bit aggravating and Sheldon felt his eye twitch. He'd expected to be able to return to his apartment and ready his notebook for the later observations of the experiment. At the current moment, the one-subject, college-ruled notebook lay unlabeled on his nightstand next to his luminous fish. Grudgingly, he followed behind her and nearly froze mid-step at the lingering scent of PineSol and Clorox. He was immediately pleased that Penny had taken the initiative to clean her apartment at a prior date; it seemed she had finally understood his insistence upon tidiness and order. He was surprised he didn't notice it before, actually. Perhaps he had just been overwhelmed by Penny's naturally clean smell—he stopped _that_ particular thought in its tracks by shaking his head. He turned his attention back to the blonde who was bent over in her seat on the old couch, signing the contract on the coffee table. Sheldon took his place beside her, resting his anxious hands on his knees. His anxiety came as a surprise and he took his first mental note: dancing with Penny equals nervousness.

"Okay, Sheldon! All signed. Before we start this, I figure I may as well ask you a few questions about what you already know."

Sheldon frowned at her, "Penny, I've told you before. I'm a physicist. I have a working knowledge of the entire—"

"—universe, and everything it contains yes, yes, I know. Now shush and just answer my damn questions."

She glared and Sheldon's heart became arrhythmic, which he made a mental note of. He would never admit it to anyone, but he enjoyed his verbal spars with the blonde he called "idiotic." She had remarkably been a quick learner and picked up much of what he said; he noticed, but doubted she did.

"Very well, if you must," he huffed.

Penny sat back in her seat, raising an eyebrow at him, "Speaking of your knowledge of everything, did you ever figure out who Radiohead was?"

Sheldon glared at the infuriating woman. Of course he had researched what—not _who_—Radiohead was! He wouldn't just let her win so easily.

"Radiohead is an English alternative rock band formed in 1985 from Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Members include Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway. They have released seven records from 1993 to 2007."

Penny grinned widely, showcasing her brilliant, straight teeth and Sheldon allowed the smug feeling of pride to wash over him, pleased with his knowledgeable display.

"It's good that you looked them up. Anyway, since I already know you can waltz, rumba, and cha-cha, I would like to know what your music preferences are."

Sheldon blinked, "Why is this imperative for the experiment?"

She shot a look at him that induced a hasty swallow in nervousness and he immediately wracked his brain for specifics. He did listen to a lot of music, but it was very selective genre-wise.

"I like Thomas Dolby's _She Blinded Me with Science_."

Penny snorted, seeming amused with his admission, "Of course you do, sweetie."

He glared and she held her hands up to let him continue, "I also enjoy the instrumental works of The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails. Classical is my genre of choice … I enjoy Thomas Newman, Yann Tiersen, Ewigheim, Beethoven, Chopin …"

Sheldon paused, racking his brain for more music. He was certain Penny would not know many—if not all—of the composers he preferred, as most were classical in nature.

"…Wim Mertens, Ludovico Einaudi, Yanni, Michael Nyman, Giorgio Costantini—"

She cut him off with a perplexed look. She almost seemed … ashamed, if he was reading her emotions correctly, "Sheldon, I don't know any of those guys."

He sighed, "Of course you don't. All of those composers create elegant pieces for the piano or orchestras. Your unremarkable tastes wouldn't allow you to consider them."

Penny looked hurt for a brief passing moment and Sheldon wondered if his eyes somehow deceived him (inwardly he knew he was being ridiculous) because she rolled her eyes and glared back at him.

"Is there anything I would know?"

Sheldon didn't hesitate, "'Pyramid Song' by Radiohead, 'Moon Trills' by Johnny Greenwood, and 'Sexy Bitch'," the last two words didn't roll off his tongue well and he felt rather uncomfortable saying them.

Penny snorted and he turned his downcast gaze to her, glaring, somewhat confused at her mirth.

"What could quite possibly be so hilarious?"

She continued to giggle hysterically—biting her knuckles to smother some of it—refusing to regard him and withholding a decent reply to his valid question.

"Penny! What did I say that is so amusing to you?"

She grinned, her face flushed from laughter. Sheldon mentally took note of this and the reaction of his own heart palpitating faster. Fascinating …

"You like two Radiohead songs and one random dance song! And your face when you said 'Sexy Bitch'—oh god, was that _hysterical!_"

He frowned.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm sorry for laughing! I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"Quite the contrary, I feel fine, albeit frustrated with your inane deciphering of my personal music choices."

She smiled at him and he noticed his aggravation seemed to vanish, to his astonishment. Her bright eyes stared right back into his own and he began to fidget, uncomfortable with the deep gaze. He felt his body temperature shoot up (he was starting to get annoyed with his body, he wasn't ill!) and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat until she glanced up at the ceiling, tapping her chin with her finger.

"It's kind of funny, really. I was listening to _Sexy Bitch_ yesterday morning before my shift at the Cheesecake Factory."

Penny looked back at him and Sheldon felt his face heat up, cursing his body's sudden enjoyment of erythema, "I know that."

She stared, wide eyed, before glaring so sharply Sheldon thought her gaze would reduce him to ashes before he remembered that was impossible, unless she suddenly developed the mutant powers of Scott Summers.

"How the _hell_ do you know that?"

Sheldon forced his best glare right back at her, frustrated with the blonde and his body's refusal to remain in homeostasis around her.

"Well, if you must know, I came over and knocked on your door multiple times to tell you that your music was far above any acceptable decibel level! Are you aware that the smallest and most fragile bones in your body are in your ears? The incus, malleus, and stamus are small enough to fit on a penny! The sound waves from your loud music not only could cause you to become deaf, it could shatter them in an insta—"

Penny silenced him with a vicious glare and a pointed finger. He cursed himself inwardly, hating that he was afraid of her implied wrath. _"Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned,"_ he quoted mentally.

"Sheldon, honey, shut up."

He obeyed. Penny stood from her seat, motioning for him to do the same. She hit a button on her remote and the opening of a song he was quite familiar with began. His traitorous body's temperature shot up, the feeling making him both annoyed and relaxed simultaneously. He made note of it.

She shifted her weight to one of her legs and put her hands on her hips, "We're gonna' give this a shot. Show me what you can do."

Sheldon stared with wide eyes. Was she serious? He had not comprehended many of the routines he found on the internet; mainly YouTube ...

She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to the other leg and raised an eyebrow at him, a grin on her lips, "Come on. I'm waiting."

Sheldon swallowed, shutting his eyes. He listened to a few bars of the music and found the base beat. He allowed his body to sway slightly, slowly finding a smooth rhythm. His body moved and slowly adjusted, languidly following the secondary beat with his limbs. His neck followed an S motion, making his head move slightly side to side as he tried to remember the steps this one man made on YouTube. His knees bent and his body began to follow the same S motion his neck made, causing his upper body to undulate in a slight wave from his waist to his neck. He repeated the action to the left, opposite to the first movement, and swung his hips around to the right. His arms began to move of their own accord, still held close to his swaying body, following the secondary beats and lyrics.

His eyes snapped open halfway through the song as his motions ceased, leaving him in a slight imbalance as sudden embarrassment worked its way into his brain. He looked over to his "teacher," but Penny was smiling, her face a bit flushed. He immediately worried that she had caught a fever.

"Well, you certainly weren't as terrible as I thought. And you've never danced like this before?"

Sheldon shook his head, "I've told you already, I've only ever danced to the waltz, rumba, and cha-cha."

He didn't say any more, his pride too injured and feeling far too humiliated to respond verbally.

"Alright. Come here and I'll help you."

Sheldon obeyed, taking a few steps toward Penny, hesitating when she stood in front of him.

"Okay. You wanted to learn club dancing, right? From what you just did, you could hold your own going solo, but probably not with a partner."

Sheldon was about to protest; why would he ever need a partner–but Penny silenced him with a look.

"Don't you start, Sheldon Lee Cooper. You asked for my help, and you're getting _all_ of it. The basic is called grinding. I stand in front of you like this," she turned so her back was facing him, "and I move while you support me."

Sheldon was confused, "How is this dancing if I only support your weight?"

She sighed, stepping back away from him. A surge of relief seemed to flood through his body and he made a mental note of it, curious as to its reason.

"No. You support me, but you move _with_ me. Clubs can get crowded and there's really no room for anything crazier. Here, let me show you…"

Sheldon stiffened as she pressed her arched spine against his chest, her posterior against his pubic symphisis. His heart rate increased substantially and he made another note.

"Alright, you place your hands on my hips and move with me."

She took his hands that were cemented at his sides and settled them just under her iliac crests. Sheldon had to fight the strange urge to run his thumbs over the bone that slightly protruded. He eHwas shocked as her body suddenly gyrated to the music, perfectly in sync with the base beat. Her arms and hips swiveled and moved gracefully, almost what he could colloquially call sensually, her rear brushing against front of his pelvis. The friction was alarming and he had to remember to breathe, which was disquieting enough that he took another mental note. His attention returned to Penny, his body rigid—he had never let someone be so close …

"Sheldon, move with me …"

His body loosened slightly against his will at her gentle words and he found himself rocking back and forth with her form, holding her weight easily with his thorax, hands on her hips. He found himself entranced by the motions they made; it was harmonious, symbiotic, and beautiful—he drew a parallel to Euler's Formula.

His conception of time was forgotten as his body moved against his neighbor's lithe figure. He barely noticed that the songs had changed, each one giving a different rhythm and melody. His body easily shifted his motions as she whispered words of encouragement. Sheldon lost himself to the simplicity of the blueprints he had formulated in his attempt to understand the art of dance. Once mastered, he disregarded everything he'd ever known, relishing the perfection of _non-thought_. He discovered the open, instinctual, primal side of himself and let loose. It was _fascinating_ …

**T – B – B – T –**

Penny was surprised—to say the least—at Sheldon's skill. Dancing with him was different than it'd been with anyone else. For her, it seemed more intimate, in a strangely twisted way … she was attracted to him, but how deeply did it _really_ run? The thought scared her. At first, every movement he made seemed highly calculated; as though he was creating formulas in his head. However, after the fifth song, she noticed a radical change in his performance; he became less robotic and more, well, _primal_. She wasn't sure if she could look at him or not, almost afraid of what she'd see in his eyes. His grip on her increased substantially, but it didn't hurt; it was almost comforting. His large hands were soft against her hips, and his long fingers curled around towards her stomach, gently grasping. It was strange, she'd never found a man's _hands_ so erotic before. With Sheldon, everything was backwards. She pushed herself closer to him, going to ask if he was okay or if he wanted to call it a day and to her surprise, he buried his face in her hair and adjusted to support her without a reminder. Penny felt her body react immediately, heat flooding through her veins like liquid fire. Her body wanted _more_ of him; her desire nearly overwhelmed her with temptations. She wanted nothing more than to bury her head in his chest, drown in his deliciously clean scent … to kiss him senseless and ravish him like no one had ever—! Her heart nearly stopped at the thoughts rushing through her head and she knew instantly this—whatever _this_ was—had to stop. Her finger somehow found the off button on her remote and the music ceased.

She watched Sheldon snap out of his daze and all but leap away from her. It brought on a sudden pain in her chest, especially since she was already conflicted with emotions from his strange behavior. She looked away.

"Sheldon, I think that's enough for today. You did good enough for a first lesson."

He nodded, his eyes remaining trained on her, focused so intensely. She could feel his gaze like it was the searing California sun and it didn't help to quell the heat pooling in her belly. _What is he doing to me..?_

"Very well. When shall I return for another lesson?"

She paused, checking her mental calendar, "Um, two days or so. I have long shifts at the Cheesecake Factory, so I'll be really beat. Next time we're gonna' work on my audition, alright?"

He let out a loud sigh that was almost too dramatic and she looked up to see him retrieve the contract from the coffee table. She bit her lip as she watched his slender fingers wrap around the edge of the paper, remembering the feel of the digits against her skin. She shivered.

Sheldon's attention was immediately on her, "Has your temperature dropped? It is well known that dancing increases one's tem—"

"I'm fine, Sheldon. Bye."

Sheldon stared, irritation evident in his eyes at her interruption before leaving the apartment without a word. She was almost one hundred percent certain she heard him whisper before the lock clicked:

"Thank you, Penny."

Her face flushed and she ran to go take a cold shower.

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><p><strong>AN: **Again, I urge you to review if you have anything to say about this fiction! I DO read all of my reviews and I DO try to take the time to reply to any questions or comments that you have as a reader! I accept anon. reviews so please think about it!


	4. Incipient Enactment

**A/N: **Ta-dah! Next chapter, ho! This one is nearly identical to the original, so all my veteran readers should recognize most of it. Anywho, enjoy and don't forget to review! Plzkthx!

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><p>Acting deals with very delicate emotions.<br>It is not putting up a mask.  
>Each time an actor acts he does not hide; he exposes himself.<p>

Rodney Dangerfield

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>Penny sighed to herself, rubbing a towel vigorously and with violent purpose over her head to dry her blonde locks. She stared into the mirror at her exhausted expression, half expecting her reflection to move of its own accord. It didn't. What was wrong with her? Her mind hadn't turned off for the past three nights; her dreams filled with those little moments she shared with her gangly neighbor over the past three years. She began to notice things about their private encounters displayed within these dreams, unsure if it was her consciousness altering her memories or if she had just missed his kindness entirely.<p>

He kept her community college failure mum when he's admittedly terrible at keeping secrets. He cracked jokes with her. He laughed—although never directed at her outright. He smiled (Well, if she were to be honest with herself, it was more like a slight twitching of the lips or a smug smirk, but at least it wasn't of the Kill-Batman variety.) at her and went along with her reckless ploys. It was endearing; why hadn't she noticed before? Penny sighed, leaning against her sink, damp hair shrouding her face from the mirror. She only really became aware of him after his return from Alaska; when she saw his pain at being on the receiving end of a cruel lie, smelled his distinct, clean scent (talcum powder and Dial soap) that lingered on his t-shirt, when he became her WALL-E singing her 'Soft Kitty,' eating spaghetti with little hotdogs (just like Mary taught her) together, and finally when she felt him move against her in sheer perfection. Penny looked to her reflection, watching as her face flooded with color.

She moved to sit on the porcelain toilet and held her head in her hands. How did this happen? She knew she was attracted to him, but when did it get so … powerful? Why did he affect her this way? It went against nature; he was a genius, a—theoretical—physicist and she was just an unsuccessful aspiring actress, working out her days as a waitress. She groaned, revulsion welling up at her lack of success. She didn't _hate _working at the Cheesecake Factory, but she wished she could have found some sort of accomplishment. Auditions came up all the time and despite being well prepared, she got more phone numbers than call backs.

Her head snapped toward the door as the customary triple knock sounded against her door and Penny's heart spasmed against her ribcage as she panicked at her state of undress. Bolting to her bedroom, she quickly pulled on a random tank top—thank God it had a support bra!—and matching flannel pajama bottoms before running to answer the door on the third set of knocks. Out of breath, she leaned against the doorframe with a grin and Sheldon stared down at her; his left eye looking like it was seconds away from twitching. As quickly as it appeared, the tic vanished and was replaced by a surprised appreciation as his eyes roamed down her body. She knew he wasn't trying to be sexual, (seriously, when was Sheldon _ever _consciously sexual?) but heat began trickling down to her tummy and she crossed her ankles subconsciously. He raised an eyebrow as she welcomed him inside.

Sheldon slid by her, entering her apartment with a grace that made it seem as though he was simply gliding across the floor. Penny found herself watching his every move before she caught herself, looking away as nonchalantly as she could muster. It was graceful and strange and she'd never really noticed the way he moved before. It was as though he was completely hyperaware of everything around him; a skill that she knew would make him a great dancer. She imagined that if he perhaps closed his eyes, he would be able to navigate cleanly to his space on her old, dingy couch. The thought strangely gave her shivers.

"Ooh-kay, so what's up, Sheldon?"

At his curious scrutiny, Penny looked down at herself and noticed the DC hero's symbol on her clothes. Really? She _had _to pick Batman? She inwardly cursed herself for not just grabbing the VS PINK pajamas instead. Surprisingly, Sheldon said nothing of her strange attire, instead replying to her question with slight irritation.

"I am here to withhold your end of the contract. Surely you remember the acting assistance you requested?"

She mouthed an 'oh' before nodding, "Okay! Right!"

Running into her bedroom, she retrieved two sets of paper; one her selected monologue and the other the papers given to her to learn by her friend Tara—also talent agent.

"Okay, so the audition I'm going out for required actors to prepare their own piece and learn one of the two parts in an assigned dialogue. So, I have a monologue to recite and I'm not sure if I'm convincing enough. Do you think you can you help me with it?"

He seemed to ponder the question before staring at her with that fixating gaze of his.

"I have seen plenty of movies, and therefore I do believe that I can make well qualified assumptions upon which acting is correct in nature."

She smiled, suddenly nervous, "Great!"

"I shall await your beginning; but first, as Shakespeare once wrote in Hamlet, acting comes not from the drama proposed by the actors, but from life experience and if never overplayed, can be incredibly powerful."

"Thank you, Sheldon." Penny took a deep breath, glancing down at her paper, knowing he'd have plenty of input on_ this_ particular monologue, and began.

"Dear Bruce… I need to be honest and clear."

Penny paused, glancing at her shoes and dropping the paper by her side. She shut her eyes briefly, feeling the pain of being torn between the two men in the character's life, likening it to her own.

"I'm going to marry Harvey De—"

"I must initiate this critique with a few suggestions."

Penny sighed as he stood from his spot, circling her as though he was a shark and she a bleeding, dying animal. It made her uncomfortable, like he was a predator and she his next meal. He reached down and grabbed her written monologue, folding it up and pocketing it.

"Hey! I need that!"

"This paper is unnecessary. I shall discard it for you. Obviously you have memorized Rachel Dawes' letter, and it is seen as a crutch."

She paused with her mouth open, ready to yell at him, but his hidden compliment made her close it. She nodded to him and he sat. Again, she took a deep breath and let it out, allowing her acting skills to rise within her. She kept in mind Sheldon's advice and when she spoke, confidence and quavering emotion hung on every word.

"Dear Bruce… I need to be honest and clear. I'm going to marry Harvey Dent. I love him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. When I told you that if Gotham no longer needed Batman we could be together, I meant it. But now I'm sure that the day won't come when _you_ no longer need Batma—"

"Penny, I detected no potential tribulation in the actions performed, which were minimal at most."

She stared at him, "Come again?"

"You are too dull."

She sighed, running a hand down her face, "Well, Dr. Cooper, what do you suggest I do?"

His words surprised her more than anything she'd ever heard him say.

"You must put the emotions—although unimportant in many aspects of life, they provide a more convincing performance—in the oculi _and_ kinetics."

"Wait, what's an 'oculi'? And kine-whosi-whats-it?"

Sheldon paused, staring her down, making her suddenly feel very small.

"An 'oculus' is another term for an eye and 'oculi' is plural. Technically speaking, kinetics is a branch of mechanical physics that deals with the actions of forces in producing or changing the motion of masses and concerned with the study of bodies in motion or rest. It is also a synonym for motion."

"Oh."

The tall genius rolled his _oculi_ and Penny glared, "Get on with it."

He cleared his throat, "Your bearing was less than desirable. No reflection to the words you spoke. The semblance of melancholy emotion stayed only in your _eyes_," he accented the word and she glared again, "rather than throughout your entire body."

"Oh. Alright, I get what you're saying."

Sheldon nodded, returning to his spot and motioned for her to start over.

She closed her eyes briefly, feeling her emotions responding without trying; frustration and sadness as she thought of her relationships with her father, Leonard, and the man sitting across from her. She summoned up as much as she could before locking her eyes on Sheldon's, folding her hands in front of her.

"Dear Bruce… I need to be honest and clear."

Penny paused, taking in a breath and turning her body to the side, away from Sheldon as though she was creating a barrier.

"I'm going to marry Harvey Dent."

She allowed her head to hang and crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself before turning back to face him, her eyes finding his again.

"I love him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

She paused again, biting her bottom lip slightly before letting it go and allowing her arms to fall to her sides. Adjusting her mood to be more focused and confident, she motioned toward Sheldon, leaning in slightly as she spoke, allowing her emotions to move her body as she stepped towards him.

"When I told you that if Gotham no longer needed Batman we could be together, I meant it." She placed a hand to her chest, "But now I'm sure that the day won't come when _you_ no longer need Batman."

She allowed her arms to fall to her sides and looked down again.

"I hope it does."

Looking up again, Penny felt herself gain purpose as she tapped into her determination to please Sheldon with her performance, allowing it to guide her. She spoke with her hands slightly.

"And, if it does, then I will be there, but as your friend. I'm sorry to let you down. If you lose your faith in me, please, keep your faith in people."

She gave a melancholy smile and allowed her hands to clasp in front of her. She felt her eyes become kind and gentle as she looked at the man across from her with affection.

"Love now … and always, Rachel," Penny finished by looking down toward her feet. After a long period of silence, she was sure he would have something negative to say any moment. When she heard quiet applause instead of insult, she looked up to the sight of Sheldon clapping with pride in his luminous eyes.

"Well done, Penny."

He stopped and stood, circling her again and her heart began to beat a little faster. He had complimented her! The blonde smiled widely.

"You learn incredibly rapidly. It is … surprising, to say the least, that you accept my critique with such," he paused as though searching for a word, "placidity."

"Well, after a million auditions and no success, I have to learn some sort of façade to hide behind," she said, motioning with her hands to pantomime a million.

"Hm."

She turned away, pulling out the other piece of paper.

"Now I need you to help me recite the chosen dialogue. I'm supposed to do it with another actor if I get a callback."

Sheldon frowned but accepted the other copy without complaint.

"The characters are John and … Chuh-jar-uh? Shit, how do you pronounce that?"

"It is pronounced 'key-yah-rah."

Penny blushed, embarrassed, "Oh. Thanks. Anyway, the two of them are talking over drinks. You begin, I believe."

"Oh, very well."

The Nebraskan smirked as the lanky man leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, doubtful that he had any sort of acting experience at all. She was reminded of the last time he tried to act with her and it ended in her calling his mother. She had to stifle a laugh. As though he was trying to spite her, Sheldon looked at her with alarming brilliance in his eyes as his whole demeanor changed.

His words were molten gold, "How long have we known each other, Chjara?"

She stuttered, thankful that it would have been acceptable with her lines, "I don't know... three, four hours?"

Sheldon sighed, letting loose a happy grin she'd never seen before, "I feel I've known you all my life."

Penny laughed, forcing her surprise at Sheldon's skills down and away, "Isn't that funny? I was just thinking the same thing."

"There are some people you know all your life and—"

She cut him off where indicated, "—you never really know them."

Sheldon smiled gently and the strange genuineness of it surprised her again. She managed to smile back.

"Exactly."

Penny bit her lip, "My first husband was like that."

Sheldon managed to sigh, "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

He looked at her incredulously, but at the same time his gaze was so _sad_. It was incredible.

"That you'd been married before."

She felt her eyebrows rise, "You did? How?"

Sheldon smiled smugly, playing the part superbly, "I just knew."

With a crooked eyebrow, she pointed a finger at him, "John, why did you come here?"

Sheldon shook his head, looking down at his hands, "I can't tell you yet."

Penny sighed, "I knew it the first time I saw you."

"What?"

"That you were secretive, John."

Sheldon sighed, managing to sound sadly sarcastic, "Talk about simpatico."

Blonde hair shifted when she tilted her head to the side, "Are you quiet all the time like this?"

He nodded his head, sighing, "Silent as a tomb."

"My ex was the same way."  
>"Is that why the engagement failed?"<p>

She smiled at him, partly at his skill and partly because she needed to, "Yes, but to be honest, I wasn't a very open person myself."

Sheldon looked appalled, "I never would have guessed," he paused and looked thoughtfully happy, "I have come to learn that only through complete and open communication can two people have any hope for a deep and lasting relationship."

Penny raised her hands like scales, tilting them back and forth, "As long as that communication isn't one sided."  
>Sheldon nodded, smiling widely at her, "I was lucky to have landed with you, Chjara, if you don't mind my saying so."<p>

Her heart raced and she had to force herself to remember he was only acting, "Not at all."

Sheldon paused magnificently, staring at her with a strange gaze that made her squirm, "I don't mean to sound presumptuous, but I you and have—"

"—a real future together?"

Sheldon smiled, "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Penny smiled and gestured at his seated form, "You're an open book, John."

"Coming from someone as forthright as you, _that's_ a real compliment," Sheldon grinned, but it wavered slightly, "actually, I've been thinking it—"

"—since you saw me?"

Sheldon blinked, shaking his head in surprise and allowing a small chuckle that made her heart lurch in her chest.

"My God, are we on the same wave length or what?"

Tanned shoulders shrugged, "It's nothing magical really. We're just two open people who refuse to beat around the bush."

Sheldon's expression as he spoke made her heart skip a beat.

"I could kiss you."

She smiled coyly, "Why don't you?"

"Exactly... Why don't I?"

The final words of the script were stage directions and reading them made her heart beat so hard she thought she was going to pass out. _They kiss._

"Penny? Are you quite alright? You are flushed! You looked ill the other day; do you have a fever?"

Penny panicked at his observation, willing herself to calm down and for the redness to leave her face.

"No, no! I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm not sick. Don't break out the Lysol yet."

Sheldon looked at her warily, but remained where he was.

"Why—why don't we stop here, Sheldon? I feel more confident in myself already and I-I think it's enough for one day."

What she thought was a disappointed look flashed across Sheldon's face so fast she almost believed she'd imagined it, were it not for the lingering emotion in his bright eyes.

"Very well. I shall vacate your apartment. Do not forget Halo night, you haven't participated in a white. I expect to see you there Wednesday."

She smirked, "Yeah, to kick your ass!"

He didn't glare back, instead opting for a gentle look and the barest hint of a smile.

"You did very well for someone who has never gotten an acting job, Penny. I can see no reason why you will not get your part, unless the casting director is a complete ignoramus. I wish you good luck at your audition."

She stared at his retreating back as he walked across the hall, feeling her face flood with color, yet again. He looked over his shoulder before he opened the door to his apartment and Penny called out to him, waving energetically.

"Goodnight, Moonpie!"

She shut the door and heard him quietly grumble, Only Meemaw can call me Moonpie!"

It made her smile as she went to her kitchen for something to eat

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope it was enjoyable to read! Please drop me a review and tell me what you think! The button is right beneath this text! Thank you!


	5. Subsequent Elucidation

**A/N: **I appreciate all the feedback I'm getting on the rewrite, whether it be positive or negative. So, onwards with our story ... enjoy chapter 5!

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><p>When it comes to attraction, that things are never black and white,<br>things are very much shades of grey.

Brian Molko

Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate,  
>are necessary to human existence.<p>

William Blake

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>"Penny, you just went through a stop sign. It is against California state law—"<p>

"_Sheldon_," she ground out through clenched, white enamel, "if you say one more goddamn word, I'm going to punch you so hard in the face that your teeth will come out your ass."

"Physiologically impossible."

"Well, I'll _make _it possible, so do yourself a favor, _sweetie_, and SHUT. UP."

Sheldon opened his mouth but slowly closed it at the vicious look she shot him. He was appalled by the inaccuracies of her implied threat. The preposterous nature of such an occurrence made her argument invalid and thusly he wanted to explain to her why it was so. But with that look—he swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and batted away the errant thought that she was quite striking when enraged—he figured it would be beneficial to his mental and physical health should he remain silent.

He watched her from the corner of his eyes as she glared out at the road, noticing her slowly deflating rage with slight amusement when she huffed and blew some hair from her face. Sheldon was pulled from his observations by a sudden need to grip at his seatbelt for dear life as she careened around a corner far too sharply.

"Penny! This is not NASCAR! Oh dear _lord_ you're going to kill me before I win the Nobel!"

"Sheldon, shut up!" she growled, baring her teeth in a mock snarl that had his mind shooting an impulse of terror along his spinal column. Sheldon recoiled, composing himself quickly before huffing and staring out the window.

"I still do not see the point of this excursion. Why must I travel with you in this deathtrap simply to visit a dance studio?"

"If you want to learn this crap, you better shut the hell up and let me help you. My apartment is too damn small to be dancing in all the time._ Deal!_"

She shot him a Junior Rodeo glare and he nearly squeaked in fright. While he enjoyed their verbal spars, there was a very fine line between true fury and teasing. And the limit to how enraged he could make her had long since passed. This time, he had gone too far. Perhaps this was his penance, suffering at the hand of a half-crazed female too emotionally compromised to be driving. Even if it wasn't, he was definitely paying the consequence in regards to his actions.

Sheldon stared out the window, attempting to quell his panicked nerves. As the scenery flew by, he found himself at a loss. Where were they? He didn't recall this particular area to be within the confines of Pasadena. He glanced at a road sign as the little red car sped past, unable to get a clear look at it. Perhaps Penny had taken him out of Pasadena? He couldn't truly recall—he'd been too busy arguing with her to pay full attention to the passing scenery or landmarks. He had to admit to himself at the very least that their arguments were truly enjoyable. While arguing with others or being in-between arguments usually made him anxious and uncomfortable, Penny seemed to be an exception. One page in his experiment-oriented notebook had deviated off course and was riddled with prognoses on both himself and the blonde driver, all orienting around the verbal spars they shared. It was through his annotations that he discovered his enjoyment, which—if his observations were correct—Penny shared.

The more he thought about it (which was rather often these days) Sheldon noticed he was certainly on friendlier terms with Penny. Such a discovery had caused him to rearrange his friendship paradigm, placing her in the place of Leonard for "best friend." He hypothesized that the friendliness between the two of them had probably started the day she shared her secret about Community College, and then again when she tried to evade the landlord due to monetary deficiency. That cash really had been burning a hole in his pocket, as it is said, and he was glad she was able to put it to use—even if "good use" meant shopping online rather than paying rent. The memory caused his lips to twitch upwards to the slightest degree.

The Nebraskan woman was changing him in strange ways. He found himself becoming a little more lenient with routine over the past few weeks—he had to be in order to accommodate lessons from Penny, something he found he didn't despise. His spirited neighbor was becoming a near-permanent fixation in his routine (and indirectly, his life). It unsettled him at first how important a piece she was in the hypothetically well-oiled gears of his life, but the data added up; even homo novus needs comfort, and permanent fixations—his seat, for example—certainly left him feeling at ease. No, Sheldon did _not_ like change. He snuck a glance over at her and let out a silent sigh of relief at her calmer face. She would be far easier to work with when she didn't want to hog-tie and castrate him.

Absently he wondered how her audition had gone. It was clear she had done well when she had flounced into (without any sort of indication she was entering) his apartment, announcing she made callbacks. She had seemed almost shy, if he was reading her correctly, when she told him with a half smile that she did the best she could. Sheldon easily recalled reminding her that she could have done no more than best, as there is nothing above "best." She hadn't seemed to listen, instead sitting in his seat defiantly and starting an argument. She stayed for dinner (Chinese food) but chose to excuse herself before the vintage games could begin. Sheldon made sure to inform her that he was interested in the outcome of her audition (a half-lie he was rather proud of) and she had smiled, waving him off nodded before telling him she'd see him on laundry night. She indeed showed up, but gave the impression she was feeling rather morose, her bickering incredibly bland. It was disappointing, especially since she dismissed herself early.

He wondered why she had been upset. He couldn't really think of any logical reason. She wasn't on her menstrual cycle, (which commonly made her emotions fluctuate wildly,) nor had she just been "broken up with," nor had she received any sort of debilitating news. He knew because Leonard still committed a felony, stealing her mail on occasion to get a chance to see her, despite his relationship with that infuriating lawyer.

He lay his hands in his lap and let out a quiet breath, shutting his eyes. When he was roused from his quiet meditation as the vehicle lurched around a corner and up a bump, they snapped open and he found himself staring at the "Pizzazz Dance Studio." He had to fight back a frown as his eye began to tic. She was really doing this to him? It was acceptable to dance in front of _her_, but other people? Whom he did not know? Good lord! Was she trying to give him a pulmonary embolism?

Penny gave a loud sigh as she unbuckled her seatbelt, "Let's go. Abigail would love to meet you, I'm sure."

He couldn't tell if she was serious or if sarcasm was afoot.

She stepped out of the car and he reluctantly followed, gazing at the front of the building with a growing sense of irritation and dread. When he entered the studio, his nose was assaulted by the smell of sweat and Lysol. It was strange as the two had never truly been in combination before and his nose wrinkled of its own accord.

"Penny! You're back! And who is this _handsome_ man with you?" a shorter, curvier woman with fiery burgundy hair and pale skin announced as she rushed at them. She appeared to be in her early forties, but despite her age was obviously in excellent health. Sheldon stared at the stranger in curiosity and Penny answered his silent question with a dramatic response before he could verbalize it.

"Abby! How have you been?"

Sheldon watched the two women embrace and chatter quietly between themselves. He chose not to listen, instead turning his attention to the space around him, nodding his understanding to Penny informing him of her relocation with Abby off to some indiscriminant area within the studio.

The studio was large. Music seemed to come from every corner, the distinct sounds meshing slightly although not in an entirely unpleasant way. The high ceiling and sharp angles of the ceiling provided excellent acoustics. The range of dancers in the studio was wide; a ballet dancer plied in one corner while an interpretive-dancer spun around rather curiously in another. His eyes settled on a man in the corner practicing what he had heard Penny call "break-dancing." She'd mentioned it often enough and wondered if she too could break-dance. Silently, he made his way to the corner and watched from a safe distance, jotting down a multitude of observations after taking out his notebook.

The song thudded loudly in his ears and he watched the way the man used parts of his body and balance to support his body when placed in precarious positions. Drawing out brief sketches, Sheldon was not surprised to find that the basics of the dance were all physics. He chuckled to himself, revisiting his complete knowledge of kinetics. When the man realized he was standing there, he flipped up from one of his positions and approached, holding out a hand in greeting. Sheldon didn't shake it.

"Hey, man! Didn't see ya' there. I'm Daniel. You interested in this?"

Sheldon nodded, snapping his notebook closed, "Yes, I am very curious on how to dance similarly to your performance. For research purposes, what thought processes and mental steps you follow while performing?"

Daniel stared at him incredulously and Sheldon barely concealed an aggravated eye roll. Clearly this man was at a far lower level of intelligence. Daniel laughed, probably assuming that Sheldon had been joking, showing white teeth.

"Alright, dude. I have no idea what you just said, but I can teach ya'."

Sheldon watched and listened as Daniel performed what he affirmed were the basic motions. "The worm," "the robot," "pop-and-lock," "top rock," and "moonwalk" all listed and displayed per Daniel's _articulate_ (yes, that was sarcasm!) insistence that "it's way easier to get if I just, like, show ya'."

Sheldon utilized the values of mechanical physics—gravity, centripetal force, power, and motion— during each of Daniel's demonstrations, comparing his visual to the notes made prior, applying mathematical formulas he'd developed to the physical motions, factoring in mass differences. He quickly concluded that break-dancing essentially was momentum and power embodied. After Daniel finished explaining and demonstrating, Sheldon grew bored.

"Daniel, do you think that I may attempt to participate in break-dancing? I am certain I will be able to perform adequately for a first attempt."

"Dude, you just watched me, like, a second ago. I doubt it, but sure, man. Go for it. You won't learn any other way other than doing, ya' know?"

Sheldon did not grace the _oh-so-eloquent_ (sarcasm _again!_ Penny would be proud) man with a response, instead rolling his eyes and dropping his messenger bag on the ground. He listened to the song Daniel played over his speakers, and just like in Penny's apartment he found the base beat. He found his own rhythm, highlighting the top rock formula in his head and put it into practice. His feet swiftly went one in front of the other and his body began to move. After a short time of getting used to the unfamiliar motions, he found it became too easy.

Seeking a challenge, he switched to another principle and he dropped suddenly to the ground, using his sudden momentum to propel his feet into the air. He felt the kinetic energy flow through his body and propel him forwards. It didn't last long. He focused on his body's potential energy and flipped backwards in opposite direction to the force applied by his arms, according to the laws of physics. He very nearly missed his landing and righted himself, but not without a small, awkward stumble.

Sheldon immediately slowed his body, allowing the knowledge he had of robotic mechanisms to move brokenly to the beat. He transitioned to a rough version of pop and lock, his gangly upper extremities and torso jolting per beat, his lower body sliding in a moonwalk simultaneously. The music ended with a quick spin and slow regression with the robot. Sheldon brushed his cargo pants off and looked around at the stunned, silent faces in the studio. He scoffed.

"I'm a _physicist_."

No one seemed to understand why his occupation made a profound difference in his initial performance, and that neglect bothered him greatly. Despite the ignorance, the entire room erupted into applause as Daniel began to rant something into his ear. He stepped away from the man, disliking the feel of warm, moist breath in his auditory canal. He found himself indifferent to the praise of strangers as his eyes focused on Penny's gaping, flushed face and what he thought was admiration in her eyes. A weird and wonderful feeling filled him, and he quickly realized it was the same emotion he got when accomplishing something in regards to string theory: pride.

"Daniel, what else are you able to teach me?"

**-T-B-B-T-**

"Penny, you've been holding out on me! Who is_ that_ natural?"

Said woman barely understood the question, reliving the brief and rather spectacular performance. It almost didn't seem like the same man she drove with. Despite his few stumbles, his display was spot on and remarkable for someone just learning. It shouldn't be such a surprise with how smart she knew he was, but it just seemed so extraordinary. She was almost too stunned to reply to her mentor's question.

"I—I don't know. That's not the Sheldon I walked in with …"

"Well, it doesn't matter: he's incredible. Are you two together?"

Penny flushed and stared at Abby. Was she crazy? Her with Dr. Whackadoodle? Inwardly, she really liked that idea, but realistically? When pigs flew!

"_Abby_, we're not in a relationship, just under a contract."

Abby grinned knowingly, "You like him, don't you?"

The blonde huffed, "Absolutely not! He's as insane as he is smart, and he's really frickin' smart! He's so OCD I don't know how his roommate can even live with him. How could anyone _like_ that crazy whackadoodle?"

"Denial isn't just a river in Africa, dear."

She was about to refute her mentor again but deflated, hanging her head in defeat. She couldn't keep lying to herself. The redhead let out a loud squeal of excitement, drawing the attention of the dancers closest to them. Frantically, Penny held her finger to her lips, "Shh! Do you _want _him to notice us? He has Vulcan hearing!"

"Huh?"

She groaned, embarrassed she'd let _that_ little reference slip, "Never mind. I'll explain some other time ... we'll be back often enough."

"Well, why don't you tell me about this Sheldon?"

Penny sighed, wondering where the hell to start with her crazy physicist. She stared down at her chipping nail polish, picking at it as she spoke.

"Well, he lives across the hall from me and has since I moved into the new one, you know, with the elevator that's forever broken? Anyway, so he's been my neighbor for a long time and we always had this weird dynamic, y'know? All these strange little moments when it was just the two of us? Hell, he's sung _me_ Soft Kitty in a _round!_ I just—ugh! He's so ridiculously smart, probably in the running for the Nobel Prize or for physics and he knows it. Whatever, that's not the point, but it wasn't until recently I realized I liked him. You see, we were always arguing and fighting with each other over the stupidest things, like where to _sit on a couch_ for god's sake! I couldn't stand his OCD, arrogant attitude, and all his other insane quirky shit, so feeling this way is just … weird."

"You said he's a physicist?"

"Theoretical. He's a _theoretical_ physicist. With an IQ that 'can't be measured by regular tests,' or so he claims. You _have _to get the job title right or he'll lecture you for a good two hours."

Abby laughed, "I like him already. Tell me about this contract you're under. All serious business with this one, huh?"

"Tell me about it!" she groaned, dropping her head dramatically to her folded arms resting on the tabletop, "never a dull moment, that's for sure. Anyway, well," Penny paused as she sat upright, unsure of how to explain their little agreement without sounding like she was insane.

"Well," she repeated, "he came to me one day and asked if I could teach him how to dance. I was really surprised because he never expressed interest before, going so far to say he believes in some many universe parallel thing-er and that in none of the universes is he dancing. Anyway, my curiosity gets the best of me as usual so of course I decided to help him but only if he returned the favor. His side of the bargain was to help me practice for the biggest audition of my life."

"Oh, what was it for?"

She smiled, "It's a surprise for him, actually; a Sci-Fi movie called _Flux_."

"Oh jeez, Penny. You really _are_ into him to decide to try a Sci-Fi. Those usually crash and burn. And not in the right ways."

"Yeah, well, it was a good opportunity. Nonetheless, he agreed and he really prepared me for my audition. Abby, I wish I could have gotten his acting on tape. It's flawless."

"Really?"

Blonde hair bobbed as she nodded, "Yeah. It was totally unexpected since I've tried to act with him before and he was so terrible! He really got into it then and I ended up calling his mother."

Abby cringed, "Yikes, that's not good."

"You're telling me. But this time around? I almost asked him who he was and what he'd done with the real Sheldon. By god I swear, he was so sexy. Like," she paused in attempt to find a comparison, "Chris Hemsworth in _Thor_ sexy. I thought I was going to die!"

"_Thor_? Didn't know you were into the superhero movies, Pen. But goodness, if you're comparing him to the God of Sexy the boy must have some serious talent! Why the hell did he go into physics?"

"Theoretical physics, Abby, and it's because he's so damn smart."

"Good catch, dear. Good catch indeed."

Penny blushed, not quite willing to openly admit that, yeah, Sheldon is actually one smokin' hot dude … once you get past the superhero t-shirts.

"Anyhow," the redhead offered a nurturing smile as she gently squeezed the blonde's hand, "I hope you get your role, honey. Lord knows you deserve it."

"I know. It's just—I'm really nervous, you know? I've got my first call back, I mean, really! I'm in it with _celebrities!_ Seriously! Holy _crap_ on a cracker!"

Abby laughed and placed her hand on Penny's arm, the warmth and motherly affection flooded the younger woman instantly. Abby really was amazing sometimes.

"I'm sure you'll succeed someday, if not with _Flux_. You're a talented girl. Never give up on your dreams."

"Penny! Penny! Penny!"

She turned around and stared at the approaching Sheldon, "What, sweetie?"

"Daniel inquired as to my ability to dance with a partner. I am requesting your assistance, if you are available."

Penny tried not to let the heat rush up her neck to flush her face with color at his super formal question. He really was a true southern gentleman. Perhaps that Cotillion training _was _good for something after all? She turned to Abby for dismissal, and the redhead motioned for her to go. Penny grinned and walked toward Sheldon as a new song began to blare through the speakers, echoing throughout the studio. She marched herself right up to the lanky genius she cared so much about and smirked rebelliously, poking him in the chest.

"Bring it."

He raised an eyebrow and his lips twitched upward in that Sheldon-y way that meant he was ready for her challenge, "It has been brought, as they say."

She laughed aloud and was swept away by the call of the dance. Their bodies moved once again in the indescribable rhythm that they had together, sweat mingling and respiration inclining as the chemistry between them skyrocketed, swimming in the chaotic music that blared from the communal speakers.

Their car ride home was silent, however.

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><p><strong>AN:** Alright! I hope you all enjoyed that, and I always I ask that you review. I do read all my reviews and reply when I'm moved. I accept anon reviews. Please take the time to let me know what you think!**  
><strong>


	6. Stint Procurement

**A/N: **A bit of a delay, but not too bad, right? So here's chapter six and I hope you all enjoy it.

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><p>And used to be, that you and me played for<br>all of the loneliness that nobody notices now  
>Oh, I'm begging slow<br>I'm coming here

"41," The Dave Matthews Band

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation**  
><strong>

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><p>Sheldon stood in front of his whiteboard, Expo marker in hand as he stared. Any outside observer would assume he was focused on what appeared to be mathematical algorithms on said whiteboard, but in reality the physicist's beautiful mind couldn't have been farther away from the allure string theory. Item after item streaked past within his trains of thought, flitting from human emotions, to dance steps, to friendship paradigms, to biology and never resting on one topic for long.<p>

His eyes shot down to the notebook he held open in his other hand by his waist, staring at what had been written. His eyes darted up again and he quickly made an addition to one of the strings of symbols and numbers that danced across his board. Below these progression codes, he had various areas circled in what appeared to be a lighter shade of green, curious symbols looking more like flowers and whimsical Japanese cats than anything of the math variety. If one looked hard enough, even the Chinese character for soup had been thrown into the mix somehow. Other more complicated strings of code were highlighted by a cerulean blue, aggressive-looking underlines and harsh circles displaying an obvious sense of disappointment or frustration at the results of whatever chaos had been spelled out in code.

In truth, the green highlighted his observations of Penny's emotional and physical responses; the blue was in regard to his own. It seemed that each dance learned and performed together brought in yet another factor, and always brought more aggravating variables to the table. The project itself seemed to have taken another turn in regards to his personal emotional discoveries. While it was true that he believe himself homo novus, said species still struggled under the weight of human emotion as well. The more he proceeded with the experiment, the more he _felt_ and that scared him. He hadn't expected to react so strongly and it seemed that the list of responses kept growing—exponentially—and currently offered a prognosis of a positive end result.

Tapping the board with his marker, he sighed aloud and forced down the desire to throw the board out the window. Instead he resigned himself to capping the marker and shutting his notebook with a papery snap. Sheldon sighed again, his normally rigid posture loosening. He was tired. He was confused. He was distraught at himself for feeling everything he did. While his companions often joked behind his back (Vulcan hearing was a double-edged sabre) about his robot status there were times he wished he was one, obeying Asimov's Three Laws and doing his work in solitude with complete focus.

He was lonely. Leonard was out for lunch with Priya and probably wouldn't be home until late, if he was home at all. Howard was with his mother and Bernadette, visiting some relatives and introducing the future bride. Raj had an IM session with a girl he'd met online and was making headway with—customary twice a week. Yes, Sheldon Cooper was definitely lonely.

He stared back at the board, trying to distract his thoughts by hunting for an error. To make his fluctuating emotional matters worse, Penny hadn't answered her door when he knocked at 11 o'clock, per her don't-come-over-before-11-or-I'll-punch-you-in-the-throat order. She had not left any sort of clue as to her location like she usually did for him if something came up. No phone number had been posted, although her cellular phone was off anyway so it didn't really matter, no address documenting her current location, no simple "I'll be back at X o'clock". She left nothing.

Sheldon stepped away from the board, finding himself too distracted with thoughts of emotional blonde Nebraskan women to focus. He ran a hand down his face, a habit he picked up from Penny, and weakly sat himself down in his spot. He leaned back against the soft leather of his 0,0,0,0 and closed his eyes. He realized he did think too much. Never before would he have questioned it, the harsh reality of constant thinking completely pushed aside. But after discovering the silence dancing brought his overworked and highly functioning mind, it was impossible not to relish it. He sighed tiredly and opened his weary eyes. Did Penny feel similarly when she danced? He decided it was a valid inquiry, and perhaps he would ask her before he concluded his experiment.

Sheldon grabbed at the remote and clicked on the television, flicking through channels until he rested upon a re-run of Battlestar Galactica. He sighed for a second time, feeling lonely all over again. It was entirely strange, this sense of loneliness. Before, he wouldn't have even noticed his lack of companions, but as of late he had been sharing more time with his blonde neighbor. Usually he had Penny beside him, her scantily clad, tan skin warming the cold leather. The thought was almost humorous, as before the experiment, normally Sheldon would have disliked her sitting by him. But lately it had become a bit of a comfort. It was strange, but not altogether unpleasant.

Sheldon hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until a loud triple knock sounded on his apartment door.

"Sheldon!"

He jolted awake, "Danger! Danger!" as another series of knocks echoed in the room.

"Sheldon!"

He stood from the couch and in five long strides stood in the opened doorway, looking down on his blonde neighbor.

"Hello, Penny. Might I ask what the matt—!"

Instead of receiving a verbal response, Sheldon hardly had time to react as she launched herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He immediately stiffened in reaction to her extremely close proximity, but her warmth slowly began to relax him and he patted her on the back.

"Penny? There, there?"

She was crying and his heart began to palpitate rapidly as his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, flooding his cardiovascular system with epinephrine. Had something terrible happened to her? He was surprised to feel the sudden bestial urge to go hit something at the thought.

"Sheldon," she gasped between tears, "I got it!"

He was extremely uncomfortable at his neighbor's lacrimation, "What have you received?"

Her blubbering only increased as a smile spread wide across her face, "I got the part!"

Now he was extraordinarily confused. Why would this troublesome woman be shedding tears when she had finally obtained something she had deeply desired for an extended period of time? It made no sense at all, and not only because understanding emotions were not present in his intimate knowledge.

"Then why do you shed tears?"

She wiped aggressively at her eyes, ceasing her waterworks, and shot him a cynical look.

"For a man with an IQ of 187, you certainly are one of the biggest idiots I know, Dr. Whackadoodle. I'm crying because I'm happy."

Sheldon stared at Penny, aghast at her insulting words and interested in the emotional information as she invited herself in, dropping herself into his spot. Before he could glare or begin raving at her choice of seat, the blonde female suddenly scooted over onto the middle cushion. Sheldon closed his mouth and raised his eyebrows.

"Come here and sit so I can tell you about the movie!"

Sheldon sighed, "If you must," and seated himself in his spot.

"So, it's called _Flux_ and it's directed by this cute new director! I think he used to assist Steven Spielberg."

He felt his lips twitch, nearly smiling at her enthusiasm. He was certainly curious about this new director as Spielberg was a film director he respected. He returned his attention back to his blonde neighbor.

"Not much of the movie has been solidified, but it's interesting to say the least," She handed him a thick script and he flipped through it.

"It takes place in the year 2147 on the planet Neohumus in the Cere galaxy. I play the part of Aiòn Van, a Re'alon—I think that's the race—um; she's a professor at the Neohumus branch of the inter-planetary university. She's goal oriented, somewhat stiff and unlucky with men."

Sheldon looked at her, "What is a Re'alon?"

Penny snatched back the script, opening it to the third page, pointing down at the list of characters and races documented there.

"The Re'alons are a long-living humanoid race, identified by pupil-less eyes and markings on their skin which glow if of the female gender. Biolumey—"

"Bioluminescence."

"Yeah, bioluminescence, I think this says. Anyway, they are typically scholars, but some go into military service."

"What does she teach?"

"Language, I believe."

Sheldon frowned. This new director certainly needed to rethink his characters.

He scoffed, "How perfectly boring and utterly predictable. Many Sci-Fi heroines are gentle and study language or some type of culture. Uhura is one example. This field is unoriginal but the heroine's personality is acceptable. However, I believe she should be in some more complicated branch of science to break out of the typical Sci-Fi mold, considering this move is to be of the Science Fiction genre."

He cleared his throat and looked away, "of course, this is only a personal opinion, but I am certain I speak for Sci-Fi fans everywhere."

Penny looked at him with a peculiar expression and Sheldon found himself biting his tongue at another comment, not wanting her to believe he was insulting her and provoking her to snap at him. Her megawatt smile threw him off as she began scribbling notes in the margins.

"I knew you would be good to talk to about this! I like the input; the whole staff is relatively new, including the writer and I'm sure he'd change things if he liked your ideas. Maybe this could become the next greatest Sci-Fi movie! I'll tell you some more if you'd like?"

"Very well."

Penny smiled, "Okay, so the plot line is fairly simple," she said as she flipped open to another page and read it aloud.

"A strange man with many secrets crash-lands a strange mode of transport into Aiòn's backyard and immediately seeks refuge with her. His name is undecided at the moment, but is of the Vorman race. He looks human aside from his slightly pointed ears and brilliantly light blue eyes that glow in the dark. Anyway, after a period of suspect between the two, he entrusts Aiòn with information of the future: the Neohumus Great War that starts within the next few weeks, and enlists her help to stop it from happening and the disastrous consequences of the war."

Sheldon nodded as she read, giving the writer some credit. It was an interesting plotline, as it didn't seem to have the typical "enemy alien" theme that many other movies of _Flux_'s genre seemed to flaunt. It took place on only one planet and civil war was the basis. He found the more he turned it around in his mind, the more he liked the idea. It was a new take on the Science Fiction genre.

He turned to her, "Tell me no more, I would like to see the movie when it is ready to be released."

Penny bit her lip and seemed to shift in her seat, "Well, what about the characterization of the male hero? Is it overused, too?"

Despite not wanting the film to be spoiled, he was curious to see if the writer had failed to create an original male character.

"Tell me."

Penny smiled, "Well, he's described as confident and cocky, albeit dedicated to his task—"

"No."

She blinked, "No?"

Sheldon stood and headed over to his other whiteboard, beginning to sketch out a character map as he spoke.

"Such a character type is far too overused. Granted it has created some wonderful roles, such as Captain Kirk and Han Solo—" he created bubbles with the names of said characters before glaring at Penny as she cut him off mid thought.

"Right. So what do you suggest Dr. Cooper?" she said, smiling prettily as she copied down his plan.

He stared at his web slash venn diagram and tapped his marker to his chin. Hesitantly, he added another bubble and wrote another character in it as he spoke.

"Well. Perhaps make him more like Spock, rational and precise," he frowned slightly, realizing that wouldn't work entirely, "but, perchance, that could be too unoriginal as well."

He paused, staring at the mess of characters before him. He hummed lowly in his chest as he thought, adding another circle and writing in "Batman."

"Conceivably, he could become less of a hero and more of an anti-hero; yes, that seems to work with the plotline. He is saving his world of his own accord, not under orders."

He drew lines from the Spock bubble to the Batman bubble, connecting them. A big X was slashed through the Captain Kirk bubble as well and Sheldon found he was enjoying himself.

"Perhaps he could have some sort of neuroses or phobias, like Henry Jones with his snakes; maybe he could also be a damaged character, mistrustful of any other being."

He drew a line connecting Indiana Jones to Batman, scribbling the word "fear" along it.

"That definitely would be _logical_ to the plotline," Penny quipped, looking up from her own diagram with a grin.

Sheldon nodded to her, suppressing his own smile.

"Thanks, Sheldon. You've helped a lot and I think that the writer will take to these suggestions very well. I'll tell him at our next cast meeting."

Sheldon capped his marker and padded silently beside her, walking his blonde friend to the door, "I am very happy for you, Penny. Congratulations on your role."

"I'm grateful for your help, Sheldon," she said as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. He felt his heart race and heat flood his face as he stuttered.

"Y-you're welcome."

She smiled and walked two steps backward from him, "I'll see you, Moonpie."

He glared halfheartedly, "Only Meemaw can call me Moonpie."

She giggled girlishly as she unlocked her apartment as he stood there, watching her. She grinned, blowing a kiss in his direction before shutting the door behind her.

"Well, this is a new development."

Sheldon's eyes widened and he stared at Leonard who was standing just below the top step of their floor.

"Leonard! I had presumed you would be gone for longer."

His coworker and roommate just smirked and shook his head, "Moonpie, huh?"

"Don't call me that!"

The sound of the door to 4A shutting echoed in the empty hall.

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><p><strong>AN: **As always, I ask that you take the time to review! Kind words, scathing words, constructive criticism ... everything is welcome. It only takes about a minute so please, I adore feedback!


	7. Esoteric Opining

**A/N: **Alright! I was shocked to see the stats of this story: almost 4000 hits and not even 20 reviews. I'm disappointed in you guys. Is it really that hard to leave a review? It takes maybe a minute tops! Makes me a sad author, that it does. But nonetheless, I'm rewriting this for my own sanity so it'll be posted regardless. This chapter has a whole new ending to it! Enjoy!

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><p>You left the sweetest taste in my mouth ...<br>I wonder what it's all about ...  
>Everything I know is wrong.<p>

"The Hardest Part," Coldplay

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>Sheldon stared at Penny with a blank look on his face, his eye twitching every few seconds in both humiliation and aggravation.<p>

"I cannot understand how it was that you convinced me to come back to that accursed studio."

The blonde to his left side sighed heavily, her green gaze turning to him as she drove, "I can't teach you to swing dance by myself. You know that."

"Yes, but is a class with other participants entirely necessary?"

He watched Penny's brows furrow as she ground her teeth and Sheldon flinched at the soft sound of enamel being worn down. Her lips turned down in a scowl that was unbecoming on her features as she replied scathingly.

"Yes. The cost came into play. This was less expensive."

He sighed, unable to argue with her logic, and instead turned away looking out the window at the passing Pasadena scenery. His time spent with Penny had increased substantially over the past few weeks, to his complete surprise. He had expected her time to be monopolized by her new role and the changes that coincided with the occupation. However, this was not the case. She had quit her job at the Cheesecake Factory,—she made him his cheeseburger by hand on Tuesdays now—filling the freed time with _Flux _cast meetings and rehearsals, dance lessons, and his nightly schedule. Sheldon found that he was incredibly pleased she managed to orient her schedule to fit with his, and it felt like the highest form of flattery. The dictionary would have defined her behavior as "venerating" towards his person.

The only discomforts he found in Penny's increased presence were his own reactions to said woman. He found himself lying awake at night,—his REM cycles wholly desecrated—remembering how he had made her smile during the day, how she'd somehow managed to emerge the victor in an argument, or how she'd stunned him with a question or statement in regards to a particular fandom of his. He found it rather unnerving that he, a homo novus, found a homo sapien to be of any sort of intimate significance. Thinking in such a manner caused him to question his entire knowledge of the universe, and that was an immeasurable amount of intelligence.

Sheldon had already been writing information in his journals but he had so much data, he had already filled three of them. His new Green Lantern journal had only just been used, already bearing pages upon pages filled with sketches, diagrams, formulas, and countless lists. He was surprised with himself at such a gargantuan amount of data he'd collected. However, with each thought written down, he'd begun to understand more about the human race, and himself.

Leonard came close to understanding the symbols representing the test subjects on his whiteboards the other week and Sheldon had kept them in his room from then onwards. He felt that this particular experiment was far too personal to share with anyone but himself. He didn't even want to share with Penny what he'd discovered, at least not yet. Most of his data was of personal experience, emotional components, and had even grown to include Penny's infraction of his previously rigidly-constructed boundaries. It was unnerving how little he cared for her increasingly close proximity. He hardly flinched at her touch now.

Sheldon sighed and shut his eyes briefly, scenting the green tea and cucumber aroma (it was from one of the baskets he'd gifted to her on Saturnalia, he remembered) that floated delicately off Penny's sun-soaked skin. He listened to her easy breathing, the natural and unconscious rhythm lulling him into a sea of calm. There were many conflicting things inside of him, the long-ignored emotions he refused to show—the proof he was human. She made him react. Penny had bludgeoned—she did nothing delicately—her way into his life the moment he'd seen her in those tiny denim cut-offs and Leonard said "hello" to her. He had begun to realize that he indeed harbored emotional attachment for his lovely neighbor. After many a conference with Amy Farrah-Fowler with careful insistence it was merely for data purposes and long internal debates, he finally came to said realization with a reluctant acceptance.

Sheldon didn't know what to do about the fluttering tightness in his abdomen when Penny was in close proximity. Ignoring the electrifying nerve impulses that shot through his body when their hands touched was no longer possible. Before then, he would have merely pushed it out of his thoughts, like he had when she'd hugged him that first time as he stood in his white briefs. (The contact had almost made the indignity worth it.) Now, he found ignoring his emotions both impracticable and impossible. The once-preposterous ideas of human courtship and romance floated through his brain more often than he would like to admit.

He had long since altered his reasoning in having Penny's help. It no longer was a hypothesis that she reacted the same way, but a prominent necessity for it to be correct. In an experiment of his own emotions, the past week he had informed her he was unable to meet her for his salsa lessons. Penny had sounded disappointed—her emotions were something he'd begun to understand—and found himself deeply regretting his decision. He spent the evening watching bad movies in the apartment, eating Thai food alone, and resulting in his mindless watching of America's Next Top Model reruns. He knew he needed her company after such a traumatic experience, and thereafter never attempted to disengage from an activity with her.

"Sheldon? Sweetie, you awake?"

"Yes, Penny. I am cognizant."

He turned to look at her, staring back into her green eyes with amusement at her indignant huff regarding his word choice.

"Oh-kay. We're here, so be good and let's just get this over with."

Sheldon sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt, "Very well."

He despised lying to Penny about his interests, but it seemed to be the best option until he understood truly what such feelings could entail. He followed Penny into the Pizzazz Dance Studio where they were greeted jovially by Abigail, the flame-haired woman coaxing them to join the other couples. Almost within a blink of an eye, Sheldon found himself in the throes of a 210 beats-per-minute dance, entangled with his blonde neighbor as she smiled happily and laughed without restraint. He was elated at her joy, his thoughts ceasing with their movements as he surrendered himself entirely to the rhythm that controlled his soul like a benevolent puppeteer. He watched Penny instinctually and with tenderness an outward observer could easily witness as he led her through spins, isolations and shimmies, relishing in her bubbling laughter and the genuine pleasure in her glittering green eyes.

Sheldon could lose himself in the dance. It both unnerved and thrilled him as he relinquished control and succumbed to his rarely-accessed, more primal instincts. Penny too had fallen victim to the munificent demon of dance, her pupils dilated as she swung her body in perfect harmony with his. After a particularly beautiful spin, Sheldon found his arms full of a laughing, euphoric Penny as she pressed closer against his sternum. A smile he didn't know existed ghosted across his lips at the sight of her, his long fingers somehow finding their way into the disarray of silky golden locks that framed her face. She giggled again, drunk on endorphins, and buried her face into his chest, a contented sigh escaping her. Sheldon's conscious mind shot back down to earth so fast he swore he felt the ground move. Instantly, his body reacted to her close proximity and he had to suggest that they take a seat. He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he led her to a seat. He needed to separate himself from her.

Dancing was a dangerous act if he let himself go too far. Carnal desires reared their ugly heads when he didn't think. Sheldon ran a hand through his short hair, spiking it up before it drooped, submitting to the heartless bitch that was gravity. He breathed slowly and evenly, trying to slow his racing heart and climbing pulse. Sheldon looked over to Penny when he found his centre, but she was not there at his side. His anxiety climbed at her sudden absence, flooding through him, and he stood to go and find her. As he got to his feet, he was smashed by a violent wave of vertigo and immediately he slumped back down to his seat and held his head, silently begging for the world to stop spinning despite his inner knowledge that it only seemed like he was riding a carousel.

"You okay, sweetie?"

He blinked at the sound of her voice, staring up at her with relief.

"Dizzy. But yes, I am fine."

He accepted her offering of water, greedily gulping it down as it flooded his whole body with a cool relief.

"Sheldon, I don't know why, but this has only gotten more fun since day one!"

He started at her exclamation, turning and looking at her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hooded,—he figured it was from her fatigue and dopamine influx—glowing in admiration and excitement.

"Oh? I had assumed this was more of a chore to you," he replied, choosing to fish for answers in regards to her emotions.

"Maybe at first, but Sheldon, you're an amazing dancer! I knew you would be good just from the way you move _naturally_!"

He blinked, unaware of the difference she apparently saw in his normal movement compared to others.

"It's amazing, really. You frakkin' _glide_ through the room, and I have never ever, _ever_ seen you stumble. Ever! It's crazy! And that combined with your giant brain, your dance skill is just—pfft! Beyond anything I'd have thought!"

She giggled madly, and he wondered at the admiration she held in her hazy, green eyes as they blinked lazily at him. He was genuinely surprised she thought so highly of him.

"I mean, you learned to break dance in all of what, three hours? And you impress me still with what you can do! I can only imagine what kind of lover you'd be …"

Sheldon choked slightly on his water, staring at her with wide eyes as she continued on, a silly grin painting her flushed lips. He had never truly desired to engage in amorous behavior with anyone. The only time he'd willingly partaken in sexual activities, he had been a young professor with a curiosity that had gotten the best of him. The whole experience had been unpleasant and highly disappointing. He'd sworn against engaging himself ever again, but well, maybe now he'd have to rethink that oath.

"… it gives me shivers just thinking about that. You're so like, hyperaware and obsessive over everything! If that all was focused down to only one person and one goal, _god_, I don't doubt you could have a woman screaming—no, no, she'd be _crying_—your name so fast! Besides, you're pretty hot anyway, and that doesn't hurt anything."

Sheldon was beyond embarrassed. She didn't know what she was saying; her dopamine high was impairing her judgment, he told himself despite his subconscious desire for it to be true. His heart rate had escalated the entire time she spoke.

She giggled, turning to him, "Sheldon? Are you okay?"

He nodded to her, drinking the rest of his water and not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Well, can we dance again?"

He fidgeted with the plastic cup in his hands, nervous and not particularly wanting to. He could barely look at the blonde beside him without feeling heat shoot to his groin.

"Please?"

He sighed, turning his eyes to hers and giving in to her begging.

"As you wish."

The rest of the afternoon and into early evening, the two of them swung in flawlessness, their harmonious rhythms creating a stir in the studio; everyone was talking about the perfect couple whose chemistry exploded like fireworks.

– **T – B – B – T –**

Sheldon returned home restless and his stomach filled with a strange pressure he had never felt before. Dancing with Penny had been decidedly different this time around. If he were a cliché man, he would say something between them had clicked, and clicked audibly. Something about twirling his blonde neighbor in his arms had done something to him and he found he both enjoyed and feared it. It was so different from how he normally felt, and it sent his mind reeling. How deep did his emotional attachment to her run? He was unsure, but had a feeling that the depth would be far more than he normally would have liked.

He needed to talk to someone, but who could he speak to without fear of judgment? Leonard was out of the question, as the homunculus became illogical and selfish regarding their blonde neighbor. Howard was a womanizer and would more than likely do nothing but irritate him and possibly insinuate some sort of degrading joke of sexual nature in regard to Penny. Not to mention he could say something in passing to Bernadette, who could in turn tell Penny of his emotional inquiries. Rajesh could be a feasible option, but increasingly more often the Indian man would bring in his own emotional attachment to his new online girlfriend Emmaline, and Sheldon needed someone to listen and offer advice, not information on another woman.

The same sort of issue related to asking Howard arose in regard to Amy Farrah-Fowler. She was Penny's bestie, and therefore was under some sort of female code to relay any information to Penny regarding inquiries about her person. And although he could appreciate Amy's knowledge of the workings of the brain, this was an inquiry of emotional subject and for once, scientific responses weren't couldn't offer the answer he sought.

He sighed as he stared at the contact listed on his phone, taking a deep breath as he made the call. He felt like he was holding his breath as it rang.

"Shelly? You 'kay?"

He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as her voice echoed through the receiver.

"Hello, Missy. This is Sheldon Cooper."

"Shelly, I know it's you. I got caller ID now. Is somethin' the matter?"

He took a deep breath, "Nothing is the matter, per say, but I have found myself in a bit of a conundrum."

"Okay, hold on. Lemme get seated. Now, tell me what's goin' on in that rocket scientist brain of yours."

Sheldon bit back a scathing comment regarding his occupation, "I'm having strange feelings."

On the other end of the line, a stunned Melissa Constance Cooper sat at her dining room table in a state of shock. She stared at her phone in disbelief at what she was hearing from her twin. She shook herself out and cleared her throat.

"These feelin's for anythin' in particular?"

"… they are all related, yes."

Missy frowned, "And about what?"

"… a woman."

Had the world stopped spinnin'? Was the rapture comin'? The brunette actually stood and looked out the window to see if God was coming down from Heaven to smite all the sinners. Nothing looked different so she waited for her brother's signature joke phrase. It never came.

"… no bazinga, Shelly?"

"I am not calling to be humorous, Missy."

A grin spread across her lips as she settled back into her seat. Good Lord, Mama was gonna' have a field day when she heard about this.

"A'right then. So why doncha' tell me 'bout this girl. She pretty?"

"She is what society dictates as attractive, but she is not pretty. I believe a more fitting word is beautiful."

Missy choked on her sweet tea. Beautiful? Well she'd be damned. She grinned again.

"What she look like, Shelly? How'd ya' meet her?"

"I should not have to describe her to you, seeing as you hid in her apartment to escape the ridiculous antics of my roommate and his friends."

Missy once again was struck silent. Sheldon had feelings for the girl across the hall … the gorgeous, blonde girl across the hall.

"So what kinda' feelings are ya' gettin' 'bout her?"

"I find that I am becoming exponentially more attached to her emotionally with each thing we do together. I don't quite," he said the word as though it physically hurt him, "_Understand_ emotional relationships outside of family as you know."

"Well, Shelly. Ya' probably like her."

"Of course I like Penny. We are friends—the best of mine."

Missy blinked. For all her brother's giant brains he was pretty dumb sometimes.

"No, I mean ya' _like_ her, y'know, like wantin' to take her on a date? Romantically."

"I suppose you are right for once, as I have no authority on such subjects. I have been thinking of such things often as of late."

The brunette was, again, floored. Her brother was finally showing interest in human relationships. Mama wasn't gonna' have a field day, no, she was gonna' flip. A devilish grin spread across her features.

"D'ya ever wanna' kiss her?"

"Need I remind you, Missy, how unsanitary the act of kissing is? The mouth is absolutely filthy and crawling with bacteria and provides an easy means of transmitting illness."

The brunette was not discouraged by her twin's bashing of kissing, "D'ya?"

"… I have thought about it, yes."

Missy mentally whooped, "A'right. If ya' like her, show her ya' do. Treat her good an' do stuff together. R'member when Meemaw told us 'bout how Granddad Lee treated her?"

"Missy, I have an eidetic memory, of course I—"

"—so, just do what he did and sweep her offa' her feet! Shoot! Gotta' go, Mama's makin' spaghetti t'night. I'll tell her an' Junior ya' said hello!"

"Wait, Missy!" Sheldon called, but unfortunately the dial tone sounded and he sighed. He thought on what she said about Granddad Lee, remembering the fond tone of Meemaw when she told him about it:

_"Moonpie, the best way t' woo a lady is with respect. Your granddaddy treated me as an equal and that's why I grew to love him."_

Sheldon nodded. Penny was in most respects his opposite, but that made her his equal. While he was intellectual and held logic in high regard, she was the emotion and chaos that he fought against so strongly. In physics and nature, each opposing element needed the other to be at balance. Penny was his theoretical other half, and without her he was not at peace. She was his best friend, and he hoped she would be much more with time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Please take the time to review! I do my best to respond to reviews that need to be responded to, and don't hesitate to ask questions. I love your feedback, positive or negative so please! A minute of your time and a few typed words? :)


	8. Onde Exodus

**A/N: **Holy mother of god, please don't kill me! I'm so frakkin' sorry this took so damn long! As my veteran readers remember, this chapter was also part of the previous one, but for this rewrite I figured it would be beneficial to split them up. But for the love of Jim Parsons I could not figure out how to let this chapter stand on its own. That coupled with the fact that college has started up again (I already had one exam!) and I've barely had time to fix this. AGH! So, despite the long wait I hope you all enjoy this chapter! As always, please review! I love feedback!

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><p>Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones,<br>as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

* * *

><p>Sheldon couldn't help but smile at the blonde beside him as she blew a kiss to their flame-haired tutor. The two of them had just finished a salsa class, the experience leaving both parties giddy. Normally he would never have thought dancing could bring such joy to his female companion's face, and his own. He found himself wishing her brilliant smile would never slip away.<p>

Despite her horrific driving, Penny had been wonderful all day. It was later than he normally ate, but she insisted she make him his customary Tuesday hamburger. They bickered, Sheldon insisting he was not hungry and that it was a foolish idea to eat at a later time lest he alter his scheduled bowel movements. She made a face at him but grinned widely as his stomach growled. Embarrassed, he conceded as gracefully as he could.

She'd needed to stop at the grocery market to pick up some supplies, Sheldon reminding her that they currently were lacking ground beef, bacon, and proper buns at the apartment. Surprisingly, Penny didn't argue, instead smiled at him and stopped at the store without so much as a complaint. He followed her through the store, proud of her excellent memory as she ordered from the butcher. She easily regarded his meat-to-fat ratio preferences and how thick of a cut of bacon he found acceptable. They paid and left in a comfortable silence.

Entering 4A, Sheldon found a note from Leonard saying he was with Priya for the evening. Relaying the message to his companion, she nodded and immediately got to work in the kitchen per usual. Sheldon no longer felt the need to hover over her as she cooked like he did the first time she made him his hamburger. He was a stickler about hand washing during food preparation, but she'd caught on remarkably fast. From his spot on the couch, his whole body relaxed every time he heard the water running. As she worked, they would talk about mundane things. Sometimes she'd ask him to explain some work on one of the whiteboards, other times about comic canon versus movie canon and various other topics. When she was finished cooking, she set their plates on the coffee table and took her spot beside him. Wordlessly, Sheldon switched on a rerun of _Merlin_ on BBC one. She smiled.

Over dinner, Penny discussed the various aspects of her movie and he listened eagerly, an action that had initially alarmed him. While he did not want to hear spoilers, Penny was incredibly good at circumventing a possible slip. He enjoyed watching the emotions that flitted across her face and the way her eyes seemed to sparkle as she enthused about the movie and its characters. She was fascinated by her role, eagerly awaiting the filming process so she could discover more about who Aiòn was. According to the blonde, the writer and director had put their heads together over Sheldon's suggestions and apparently had redone most of John Freeland's disposition. Penny claimed they were even changing the character's name.

"… and I'm really excited that they got Jim Parsons to play him. He does disturbed and neurotic better than anyone! You should have seen him at the last read-through!"

"Who?"

Penny's eyebrow raised, her expression changing to appalled at his unawareness regarding the identity of the Jim Parsons character, so he shut up and let her explain.

"He's an incredible man and he's played a bunch of minor roles in movies. It's kinda' surprising he hasn't gotten a major role before now. He's really good."

"I see. I shall look into this man's movie history."

Penny smiled at him, "I doubt you'll like his stuff! _Garden State_ really doesn't sound like your cup of tea, Moonpie."

"Perhaps that is so, perhaps it is not ... and don't call me Moonpie."

The entire evening was tranquil. Penny hadn't burnt or poisoned his food—she hadn't touched it either—and Sheldon discovered he was having fun with his blonde neighbor, watching _Curiosity_ together. They discussed various superheroes, television shows, zombie apocalypse probability, and even new movies that looked interesting. Sheldon already knew that they had many similar interests, but what he found the most remarkable was that their conflicts and disagreements based on personal opinions were easily compromised, which in itself was amazing. Dr. Sheldon Cooper was compromising with a homo sapien of lower intelligence? He knew what his roommate, companions, and sister would say: "did Hell freeze over?"

Penny was a remarkable companion. He had allowed himself to agree that he did care deeply for her, but he was irresolute regarding their friendship's standing. Were they just friends? Best friends? (He certainly considered her his, he reminded himself as she laughed at something he'd said offhandedly.) Were they moving to uncharted territory he had not even imagined would be a probable option prior to the start of his experiment? It was nearly impossible to come up with an answer without outright asking her.

"Hey, Sheldon?"

Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and his gaze turned to her before darting back to the television, "Yes?"

"Remember when you said you listened to lots of classical? Well, I looked up some of the songs you mentioned."

Sheldon's head snapped to her almost violently and he stared at her with curiosity. What had she looked up and since when was Penny a fan of classical? For that matter, why would she even look the genre up?

"Well, some of them I really, really like."

"Oh?"

She blushed prettily, and Sheldon tried not to stare at her beautiful expression.

"I really liked Primavera and Le Onde … Struggle for Pleasure was really good too! It's really different to what I usually like but they're so pretty!

He smiled slightly at her enthusiasm, settling back against the couch and returning his gaze to the show they had on.

"Um, so I was wondering if you would play one for me."

He paused, looking directly at her with unveiled surprise, "What?"

She sighed, poking at her food with a fork, "Could you play a song for me on the piano?" He watched her eyes dart to the covered Yamaha piano he kept in the far corner of the living room beside his work desk.

"I see no reason not to. Very well."

Her face lit up with happiness, the hesitancy he'd seen only moments before vanishing immediately. Sheldon swallowed the lump in his throat as he stood from his seat. He leaned over her, blue meeting green.

"Don't touch my food."

She smiled and made an 'x' over her chest. He tried not to smile back too brightly before walking over to the covered keyboard. He felt her eyes on him as he pulled off the dust cover, folding it delicately and setting it down on the seat beside him. Slowly, he settled behind the ivory keys. He let out a breath and chose to play Le Onde. _It's the only one without string accompaniment._

Sheldon's long-fingered hands hovered over the keys and softly he began the slow introductory harmony with his left hand in a minor key. His right picked up directly where the melody began, adding a joyous tone simultaneously to the otherwise somber strain. After a brief slowdown, the tempo increased as did the key. The light staccato notes rang in the still apartment and his eyes fluttered closed as, for the first time in nearly seven years, he allowed the music to take over. The middle of the piece began, a slower, more somber moment done in legato with fewer happy tones.

It was rare for him to find such peace in his music, but this time he performed for Penny. Somehow, it made his relaxation easier. He had no one to impress but her and to his knowledge she had no piano training or a working comprehension of correct technique. There would be no ridicule, not like from the organist from his mother's church who'd given him lessons as a child.

The higher staccato notes picked up toward the end of the piece, the key shifting from minor to major-minor as the peaceful rhythm that gave the song its title rolled over him in gentle waves. He felt the smooth plastic mimicking ivory beneath his fingertips and pressed on toward the perfectly delicate ending of ambiguity and peace. As the sound tapered out, he felt a sense of _something_ settle over him in a sensation he hadn't felt for so long. He let himself sigh in a blissful quiet.

Sheldon opened his eyes after his long fingers ceased their movement and let out a long breath. Raising his gaze from the keys to the room he found her face, tears running from her eyes and a smile on her flushed lips. Without hesitation, she clapped for him, a clear sense of appreciation washing over her expression. He felt pride well up within his chest and he allowed a small, half-smile for her. He turned away, shutting off the electric instrument and placing the dust cover back over it. Silently, he walked back and slid into his seat beside her.

"Thank you," was all she whispered before they finished eating in silence.

Sheldon was a bit put off by his neighbor's sudden quiet as they did the dishes together. Had she not been smiling and laughing earlier this day? Had his playing really affected her so badly? It couldn't have been positive if her lack of speech was any indicator. He stared at the blonde beside him as she dried off the plate in her hands. Her eyelashes were still damp and her eyes a bit red from her prior tears. He was unsure what he should do. He knew neither the protocol nor kind words he could share with her. Despite his honest nature, he was unsure how to approach a crying woman, as were most males of the human race. During the past years spent with his neighbor, Sheldon learned that his typical mannerisms were not always appropriate in certain situations. And thus silence was deemed the only suitable response.

By the time they'd put away the dishes and turned off the television, Penny was once again in tears. She bid him good night quietly, mentioning that she didn't want to trouble him. Being the gentleman his mother and Meemaw bred him to be, (and keeping his sister's words in mind) Sheldon walked her across the hall without a word. Penny's hands were shaking as she tried to wipe her eyes while unlocking her door. Once she got the key in the lock, however, she turned and looked up at him. He felt as though his heart was caught in his throat at the sight before him. Lines of tears streamed down her pretty face, with them taking mascara and eyeliner in a black and gray mess. He discovered an immense sadness well up within him, sympathy for her being the cause. Before he could stop himself, Sheldon had hesitantly wiped away her tears with his thumb, cupping her cheeks gently in his palms. She sobbed loudly, clutching his hand to her face for a full ten seconds (it felt like longer to Sheldon) before letting go and stepping back from him. What she had told him nearly rocked him off his feet.

"Sheldon, honey, I—I'm going to be gone for eleven months."

He couldn't breathe, and this time he knew it wasn't because of asthma. What she'd told him literally took his breath away. She was leaving. She was leaving him alone and with an out-of-whack schedule. Her departure would put a gaping hole in his friendship paradigm. He found he could barely speak.

"Wha—why?"

His voice was barely a whisper, hoarse and full of Texas. He knew his sudden onset of nausea had nothing to do with her cooking.

"For filming," she tried to wipe away more tears and only succeeded in smearing her makeup further, "the director and crew decided to head out tomorrow. I'm leaving at noon."

Sheldon stepped closer to Penny instinctually wanting to comfort her, his sadness turning to desperation.

"When were you notified?"

She sniffled as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. Sheldon found it easy to ignore the mucus dripping from her nose as he wiped the new tears away just as he had the first ones.

"L-last week. I just … couldn't tell you, Sheldon! It breaks my heart to know that my _best friend_ will be miles and miles away ..." she paused, hiccupping. Her lower lip trembled and suddenly she fell apart at the seams, throwing herself at his chest. Sheldon's breath caught again and she buried her face in his chest, crying freely.

"… I never want to leave like this, but I _need_ this movie! I—I decided to audition because I wanted to impress _you_; I wanted to prove that I was good enough to be friends with you all! That I wasn't just some stupid blonde from Nebraska chasing an impossible dream! I wanted to give you a reason to keep me around! Leonard and I crashed and burned and—I've already lost the guys but now I'm losing you!"

Although her words began to make less and less sense, her sobs triggered something in him, something he never thought he'd feel. It was something that he'd never believed he was capable of feeling: love. It was a warm, sympathetic affection and protectiveness that only grew when his precious person was in distress. Sheldon felt like he was asphyxiating, forgetting how to breathe as he understood.

He _loved_ this woman hugging him like a lifeline. He loved _Penny_.

Sheldon embraced her tightly.

"Eleven months. That's a very long time," he murmured, pressing his face gently against her soft, blonde hair.

She sobbed, "I can barely survive being ten minutes away from you!"

Sheldon smiled and buried his nose in her sun drenched hair, breathing in the scent that was uniquely Penny.

"482,119.702."

She pulled back from him, her cheeks red and eyes dripping as she looked at him curiously, "What?"

Sheldon allowed himself to smile gently at her, wiping her eyes yet again. For a moment he felt like the two of them were in a movie scene and he almost laughed at the absurdity.

"482,119.702 are the number of minutes that compose eleven months."

Her expression changed to utter despair and she began crying all over again, "That's so many!"

He lifted her chin delicately, and wiping the fresh tears away with his thumb as he had grown accustomed to doing.

"I will not have vacated my apartment when you return."

She smiled at him, laughing as she cried and understanding he meant "I'll still be here when you come back."

"You're such a geek. But thank you, Sheldon."

He nodded and embraced her again.

"I'm so happy you're here."

"I always will be."

**- T - B - B - T -**

Sheldon sat down on his bed, his beautiful mind bursting with unanswered questions and a looming depression that threatened to devastate his REM cycles. Penny was going to be gone for eleven months. That was 47.8293356 weeks or 334.805349 days or 8,035.32837 hours or 482,119.702 minutes or 28,927,182.1 seconds. All variations of the same time were still far too long for any reasonable person. Sheldon fell backwards and covered his face with his arms as tears began to fall.

He loved Penny … and he couldn't wait for her to come home.

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><p><strong>AN: **Again, please take the time to review and tell me what you thought! I accept anon. reviews! If you have a question I will respond to you with the best of my ability, unless its a spoiler! Thank you much!


	9. Repudiated Dissemination

**A/N:** SPOILER! I'm still flipping out from Leonard admitting he and Penny were a mess from the new episode, which prompted me to go overtime on this chapter! END SPOILER! Anywho ... holy good lord, this one was fun to re-write! In accordance to the review I received on the original posting, I decided to go with the suggestion and make sure Penny didn't use too much 1337/n00b-age in her messages, because we all know she's smarter than that. Added some more stuff (textage!) to this one, too. But for the most part it's pretty damn similar to the original. As always, I encourage you to review because they make me happy and stuffs! Enjoy!

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><p>Cause the spaces between my fingers Are right where yours fit perfectly.<br>… if my voice could reach back through the past, I'd whisper in your ear:  
>"Oh darling I wish you were here."<p>

"Vanilla Twilight," Owl City

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<br>**Written by Amputation

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><p>TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:00 PM Los Angeles Sunday<p>

Hey sheldon! Its penny!

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:00 PM Pasadena Sunday

I am well aware as to who has texted me, Penny.

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:01 PM Los Angeles Sunday

Yeah yeah, whatever. Anyway im on the plane right now and the stewardess is gonna come over and yell at me in a min 2 shut the phone off.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:01 PM Pasadena Sunday

I see. Perhaps you should get to the point of your trivial messages if you are short on time?

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:02 Los Angeles Sunday

Jeez youre such a party pooper, Moonpie. Anyway, I just wanted to say bye and that ill miss you!

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:04 PM Pasadena Sunday

I believe your prolonged absence will cause me to yearn for your unlikely hasty return as well.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:23 PM Pasadena Sunday

I take it the stewardess asked passengers to shut off electronic devices. Very well. Have a  
>pleasant flight.<p>

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 10:01 AM New Zealand Tuesday

Im all checked in at the hotel. Time to sleep.

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 6:03 AM Pasadena Monday

It is a good thing that my cell phone is shut off after bedtime. Your latest message would have disturbed my circadian rhythms and brought me out of my then-present REM cycle.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 6:05 AM Pasadena Monday

I am glad your flight was without any problems.

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:47 PM New Zealand Wednesday

Aww thanks for caring Moonpie! Just finished filming for the first time. Pretty fun!

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 2:47 PM Pasadena Tuesday  
>I still have 13 minutes until I no longer must be engrossed in my work, Penny. I do not have time to chat casually with you.<p>

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:47 PM New Zealand Wednesday

K

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:00 PM Pasadena Tuesday

My working hours are never truly over, but I am currently off the clock as it is said.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 3:42 PM Pasadena Tuesday

You clearly are occupied and have been for the past 42 minutes. I shall cease texting you. Have a pleasant evening.

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:10 AM New Zealand Saturday

Hey whatre you guys up to?

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:10 PM Pasadena Thursday

It is Anything-Can-Happen Thursday. Wolowitz has insisted upon visiting a bar together.

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:10 AM New Zealand Saturday

Haha cute. Bernadette with him? Gotta warn the chicas!

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:11 PM Pasadena Thursday

Bernadette is present. As are Priya and Rajesh's new female companion, Emmaline.

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:12 AM New Zealand Saturday

Sorry had to get in bed. Ooo Raj has a gf? What does she look like?

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:13 PM Pasadena Thursday

She is average height and build, has fair skin, and red hair.

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:13 AM New Zealand Saturday

Ginger? Huh. Whodathunk.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:14 PM Pasadena Thursday

Pardon?

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:14 AM New Zealand Saturday

Nevermind Moonpie. Man im sleepy.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:14 PM Pasadena Thursday

You are awake at 4:14 in the morning, Penny. Of course you are tired. Why would you consciously break your circadian rhythms like this?

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 4:16 AM New Zealand Saturday

Cuse wntd to tlk t yo

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:16 PM Pasadena Thursday

Your poor grammar and spelling astounds me. Chat speech is a horrid habit. I can tolerate your lack of apostrophes and commas, but not such atrocious spelling.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:56 PM Pasadena Thursday

I believe I've either angered you or you have succumbed to slumber. I find the latter of the two more probable. If so, I hope your REM cycles are pleasant.

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Sheldon Lee Cooper, PhD ( drsheldoncooper (at) caltech (dot) edu )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: blank

SENT: Wednesday, 7:32 AM

2 Attachments

Hi Moonpie! So excited to finally have the plug converter thingy. I hadn't realized New Zealand has different electric plugs than back home! It's super beautiful here, and I attached two pics I've taken of the view from my hotel room. It's me with Jim Parsons! I think you'd really like him! He's from Texas too, btw! He's a super nice guy and he's real smart. Anyway, I'm going to leave soon for shooting, so I'll send you another email later!

XOXO Penny

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:56 AM Pasadena Monday

I would be very comforted if you did not send messages to my work email.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:59 AM Pasadena Monday

Please use my personal email. drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: blank

SENT: Monday, 11:52 PM

0 Attachments

Hey Sheldon! Look! I used your personal email! haha. Jeez, I can't believe it's been 2 months already. We haven't talked much … at least there's only 9 months left! Filming is pretty tough. We go for like 10 hours a day, but I get my own chair. Pretty cool if you ask me! It has my name on it and everything! The director's a cool guy, and we made friends real quick. I'm always exhausted after the days, but I made a note to email you before I passed out tonight! Aren't you excited? Haha, like you'd be excited to get an email from me. Anyway, how's your string theory coming? Made any progress? Not that I'd understand if you told me, I'd probs just tune it out but just trying to be friendly. Why haven't you texted or mailed me back? It's lonely here despite goin' out with the supporting actresses and the staff. New Zealand is pretty, but where we are is real empty. I miss halo night. Maybe I can get live here? Doubtful. Anyway I'll talk to you later. Hella sleepy!

Goodnight

Penny

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 12:44 AM New Zealand Wednesday

Hey! Whats up?

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 5:44 PM Pasadena Tuesday

The Cheesecake Factory seems to be incompetent.

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 12:44 AM New Zealand Wednesday

Aww honey Im sorry!

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 5:45 PM Pasadena Tuesday

I miss my Tuesday cheeseburger.

TO: Penny (626-XXX-XXXX) 6:31 PM Pasadena Tuesday

I miss you, as well …

_Save to drafts? No. Deleted._

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: HEY!

SENT: Friday, 9:22 PM

0 Attachments

Seriously? Where are you lately? I miss you like crazy! You never mail back, and it kinda makes me sad. Oh well, I bet you're busy with your string thingies. Haha. I'm gonna keep sending these, though! Spam up your inbox. HA! Its super lonely here. Can you keep me updated on stuff w/ the guys? I'm seriously curious, especially with that new chick Emma something? Whatever. Well I miss you mostly, but whatever. Jim bought lunch today, and it was good. He kinda reminds me of you but he's waaaay less anal about ordering food! Haha. Despite your crazy, I miss thai food and pizza and stuff we had together. It's so hard being alone. I really can't wait to get home. Will you play another song for me? Le Onde was pretty. Maybe struggle for pleasure? I don't know, but I love your piano playing. It's beautiful. :) What time is it back in Cali? I miss you.

Penny (heart)

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: Holy crapola!

SENT: Sunday, 11:02 PM

3 Attachments

Wow. First message in 3 months. I haven't heard from you at all! Not even a text. What's going on? Why haven't you texted or mailed back? Are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Sheldon really! It's making me nervous. I'm lonely here, but you probs already knew that. 6 months is too long. Urgh I just want to stop. Makeup is tedious and it feels terrible at the end of the day. The movie is doing good though. Jim and I are good together. The director says we have good chemistry. I dunno about that, but sounds fine. Sheldon god I miss you. How are the guys? Raj talking to the Emma chick? Howard still with Bernie? Are Leonard and Priya doing well? How are you? I really want to hear from you. I check my mail and facebook everyday before bed. Nothin. Nothing for 5 months! What's going on? I'm missin you like crazy and you don't even text! Seriously! Are you mad? Leslie Winkle being a bitch to you? Tell her to stuff it! Youre better than her. skank. bitch. I'll go jr. rodeo on her ass if you want when I come back or whoever. Anyway, I'm just missing you and hoping youre okay. I really really miss you.

XOXOXO Penny

PS. Talk to me please? Sent you pictures of us fooling around!

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: blank

SENT: Sunday, 3:49 AM

0 Attachments

Where are you? I miss you so bad.

Penny

_**Penny Carlson**_**  
><strong>_Missing you (broken heart)  
><em>

_- Like - Comment – about 2 minutes ago_

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: blank

SENT: Friday, 9:29 PM

0 Attachments

… :( miss you. Mail me please.

Penny

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 9:29 PM New Zealand Friday

Missing you. Text back?

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 12:44 AM New Zealand Saturday

Still miss you.

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: Craziness!

SENT: Friday, 8:19 PM

0 Attachments

It's been so long. I miss you a lot. I'm coming home in 4 months. We're almost done filming. It's crazy how fast it's been. God I miss you. I wish you could have been here. You'd love new Zealand … wasn't LotR filmed here? We're working on the end of the movie now. It's sad and romantic and it'll make you cry. I met William Shatner. He has a minor role in the movie which is pretty sweet. I met scifi royalty! He's cool despite being so old! He sends his regards. He's so nice. I hope you read this and email me back. I miss you much. My best friend forever, where are you? :(

XOXOXOXO Penny

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: blank

SENT: Sunday, 10:47 PM

2 Attachments

Messaging again. Leonard Nimoy dropped by. I think he and Shatner were chilling. Haha. Kirk and Spock together again! Bill plays my character's dad. How cool is that? Super excited. I told them all about you and they want to meet you sometime. In the mean time, enjoy the pictures of me posing with them! Just don't have a heart attack! I think we can do that. Am I right? Haha. Damnit Sheldon why aren't you mailing me? I'm desperate here! At least promise you'll come with me to the premiere?

XO Penny

PS. Coming is non-optional! :) Social convention lol

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

SUBJECT: 1 month!

SENT: Monday, 7:59 PM

0 Attachments

Jeez I'm almost done. Crazy, huh? Miss you still. I can't wait to see you when I get home. You have all my mail, right? I hope so. I really really can't wait to see you. I missed you guys so bad. You don't mail me, though. I'm worried you're mad. Did I do something wrong? Are you okay? I'm hoping you finished your experiment without me. You have/had a bunch of dances left, did you master some of them? Did Abby help you? I'd like to dance together when I get home. It'd be nice. I'm seriously missing you. Hope you're okay.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO Penny

PS. MAIL ME PLEASE?

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 8:00 PM New Zealand Monday

Missing you. Please talk to me? (broken heart)

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Dr. Whackadoodle (626-XXX-XXXX) 2:00 AM New Zealand Thursday

Comin home today. flight leaves in 2 hrs. Airport is quiet, kinda creepy. Wishin you were here. I'll see you soon. Love miss you much

**- T – B – B – T -**

Penny had never felt so alone in her entire life. She missed her crappy apartment and the "swirling vortex of entropy" as Sheldon liked to call it. She winced at the pain that wrenched through her chest at the thought of her neurotic neighbor. God, did she miss him. Nibbling her bottom lip, Penny stared out into the hazy, dawning light filtering in through the airport's large windows. The sun wouldn't be up for another two hours or so, but nonetheless it was still beautiful. A smile quirked her lips as her vision tracked the horizon line, connecting imaginary dots in the skyline. The colors slowly faded into one another, black to violet to indigo to cerulean to peach to orange to yellow … to the sun still hiding out of sight, not willing to let the moon relinquish her hold on the sky. Placing a hand against the clear pane of glass, Penny related to the moon. So lonely in the sky, she could never be with her sun unless they got the rare chance to dance together to the sound of life in a heavenly eclipse. She wondered why she'd been given such a chance with Sheldon, why the world decided to curse her with feelings that would no doubt be unrequited until time began to take the sting away. A sad smile graced her lips and she removed her hand from the pane, turning her gaze to the phone in her hands. Clicking a few buttons, Penny brought up the last message she'd received from him, her thumb caressing the screen as though it was his skin. Of course he'd miss his cheeseburger … why would he miss her?

Her throat clenched and she tried not to think about it, instead turning back to the window and cursing the sky for being the same color as his eyes.

**- T – B – B – T -**

Sheldon stared at his cell phone's screen, a twinge of happiness flickering through his weary body. She was coming home soon. A soft, delicate smile snuck onto his unsuspecting lips while he was scrolling through the previous texts she'd sent. He felt ghastly for never replying to them or her emails, but every time he read one it was as though he was dying slightly on the inside. It hurt more than any injury he had ever suffered through before, aching terribly—physically and emotionally—at her desperate attempts at reaching out to him. Despite the smidgen of joy that arose within him at her words of longing, he was deeply downhearted. His yearnings for her grew stronger each passing day and he took solace in that his affection wasn't one-sided. Leonard, Raj, and Howard had been noticeably kinder toward his person while she was gone; something that he found was both welcome and offensive. It bruised his scientific pride that a woman's absence could so profoundly affect him and his work. Not noticing women or their wiles was something he'd prided himself in before Penny … but now she'd afflicted him. It was blatantly obvious his roommate and companions noticed Sheldon's change in demeanor. It really was rather apparent: a lack of pranks, lack of jokes; a lack of eccentric habits that defined him as Sheldon Lee Cooper. It was strange to notice the change himself.

He guessed he could call it bad timing to realize he was more than emotionally attached to her—love was leagues deeper—the night before she left. It was a strange and foreign concept to him, love. How one could come to be so attached to another person never really made sense to him, even currently as he experienced the phenomena it still didn't. He found himself in the throes of desperation when he thought of her, needing her presence, her scent, the sound of her voice! It was a painful thing to know how long and how far away she was from him; from home. How she would be utterly absent from his life. He gripped at his chest through his Flash t-shirt—gently though, he didn't want to wrinkle it—as his throat tightened and his chest began to ache. It was a terrible ailment.

Leonard had caught on quickly. He and Priya were incredibly supportive, despite the homunculus' illogical attachment to the blonde. They had informed Howard and Rajesh nothing of his emotional _disease_. It was simply not spoken of. It probably was strange for the two men, more or less because of his lack of interest for so long.

He had devoted all his time outside dance lessons from Abigail and scheduled nights to his research, allowing himself to not _think_, but _feel_; something he'd learned from dancing. It proved more than effective. In three months, he had managed to prove string theory. Solidly. Not by fallacy or electric can opener interference. Cold hard instinct had given him the lead. He'd followed it and lo and behold, there before his eyes was the key. Leslie Winkle had thrown a violent fit not unlike those of children at the presentation. It was strange, having finally achieved his lifelong goal. He was a Nobel Laureate. It had been announced last month. He couldn't wait to tell Penny.

Letting out a yawn, Sheldon stared down at Penny's last message before switching the phone off. He closed his laptop and wandered down the hall to collapse into bed. Tomorrow she would be home. Tomorrow he would be at peace.

He was so full of epinephrine, it was ridiculous. His heart sounded like a bass drum in his ears and he had to remind himself that no one else could hear it. Leonard felt like he was in a Mission: Impossible movie, sneaking out of his room after Sheldon had fallen asleep. He squinted through his glasses as he peered at Sheldon's closed door. The lack of Penny had been messing with his neurotic friend's sleep. That at least was noticeable, purple rings appearing under the eyes of someone who normally went to bed at 9PM wasn't normal. Ninja Leonard moved silently across the wooden floor, feeling before stepping to avoid the hardwood creaking as he tiptoed his way to his roommate's laptop. He had a mission. Avoiding the slightly squeaky desk chair, Leonard faced down his goal with a wide grin. Opening the XPS, he took a minute to hack Sheldon's personal email. The man encrypted _everything_ and _anything _he could, of course it would take a while, but it only added to the M:I feel of his ninja mission. He caught himself from cracking his knuckles in victory as he broke the encryption and got to work, the glow of the screen reflecting in his glasses. He attacked the keys viciously and with fervor. With a triumphant expression, he hit send, closed the internet window, and turned everything off all with a smile on his face.

_Their relationship's like a movie_. _They were made for each other._

**- T – B – B – T -**

TO: Penny ( penpenhellokitty05 (at) gmail (dot) com )

FROM: Me ( drsheldoncooper (at) msn (dot) com )

SUBJECT: Hey

SENT: Monday, 1:29 AM

0 Attachments

Penny,

It's Leonard. Sheldon's been incredibly sad and lonely for the past 11 months. All of us are incredibly proud of you, but he's taken your absence hard. We are all excited for your return tomorrow!

Sheldon is a Nobel Laureate. He managed to prove string theory, the lucky bastard. :) We're all very proud of him, too. I hope you are. He really threw himself into his work when you left. He's missed you more than anything, honestly. There were times he stood at his board doodling Penny blossoms in the borders. And once he walked over to your apartment and knocked before realizing you were still gone. Not even kidding.

You mean so much to him, Penny. I don't know how you did it, but you've changed him from a robot/alien species to a human being. It's an amazing thing, and you're an amazing woman. Please don't ever hurt him, not that you would.

We all miss you and can't wait to see you.

- Leonard (and Howard, Raj and of course, lonely puppy Sheldon.)

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Everybody say it with me: D'AAAWW! Okay, I'm done. Big ball o' fluff in this hurr chapter. Oh well. Anyway, please review because it's great motivation to get the next chapter out and published and super awesome for my ego (jk). I accept anon. reviews! So hop to it plzkthx!


	10. Timorous Reception

**A/N: **Holy shit, guys. Holy SHIT. The new season of TBBT is BRILLIANT. I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it. _SPOILERS!_ Although my shipper brain wishes that Sheldon had sought Penny's assistance with the pranks ... after all, the two of them had their own prank war that ended with underwear on a clothesline ... hehe. _END SPOILERS!_

I want to apologize for the time it has taken to get this chapter up. I've been really ridiculously busy. The fall semester is almost over and I'm feeling the stress. New chapters probably won't be regular seeing as I have to wait for a lull in my schedule to have time to write. Anyway, this chapter is similar to the original, just longer and more emotionally charged. As always, I encourage you all to review as feedback always makes my day! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"I promise I'll come back for you.<br>I promise I'll never leave you."

Almásy, _The English Patient_

* * *

><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

* * *

><p>Sheldon awoke before his alarm after a fitful night of rest. Due to Penny's text the night before, his REM cycles had been completely mangled and obliterated. He had hardly been able to sleep at all, waking up at various hours in the night and watching his clock before falling back into darkness. Sitting up in bed, he remained there for a long moment, staring at the wall across from him. His mind worked overtime despite moving sluggishly in his exhausted state before he stood and headed to the kitchen. He required sustenance.<p>

He went through the motions of his morning routine with a detached robotic quality that had put Leonard on edge. As he stood in front of his closet, his eyes glazed over at the colorful sight of his shirts. He felt as though he was trudging through drying calcium silicates with aluminum-and-iron-containing clinker phases. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, despite his desire for it to hurry the hell up.

Sheldon stared at her door, the 4B winking at him in a taunt. How badly he wanted her behind that door, still sleeping because it was before eleven, of course. He felt his lips twitch upwards at the thought. Even when she was sleep deprived, her sun-kissed hair a mess, and clad in pajamas he found her beautiful. A sharp pain shot through his chest and he visibly winced before walking briskly past Leonard, who watched him with a concerned expression.

When he got to work, he was unable to move from two steps in front of his office door for a long while, standing by his small desk and Rajesh's unsightly one. He found himself wanting to do nothing but stand still, to wait for the day to be over. It really was unreasonable how slowly time was moving, the childish part of him griped. He wanted it to be time to go home, for the sole reason of being able to gaze at 4B and know he wasn't alone anymore.

His office was quiet as Rajesh had yet to arrive. He felt completely isolated and for once he didn't want to be. His mind was sluggish. Usually it was flooded with string theory, trains, dancing, and Spock but today, it was strangely vacant. This sense of barrenness wasn't the same state of non-thought that dancing gave him. No, this was simply void. It was as blank and empty as the boards that stood surrounding the two desks. He couldn't think if he tried. He couldn't concentrate. Nothing seemed important anymore, not even string theory. Only one thing crossed his mind: Penny was coming home today.

As the fact settled down, nesting comfortably in his brain, his brilliantly blue eyes widened in full realization. His brain broke free of the concrete holding it in place, the wheels turning and going full steam ahead. She was coming home. A genuine smile crossed his face and that was how Rajesh found him.

"Sheldon? Are you okay?"

Shaking himself, the tall Nobel Laureate turned to his friend, "Yes. I am well."

"You sure? You've been really out of it lately, dude."

"While that is true, I no longer have a need to fret."

Raj was confused for a moment before it clicked, "Penny's coming home."

The blue eyed man did not respond, that breathtaking smile creeping up over his features again instead. The Indian found himself smiling in return as he took his spot behind his desk, organizing the papers he'd left out.

He had no idea how to welcome her back. He laid his head down on his crossed arms, berating himself for the first time about his lack of social skills. What was an acceptable way to greet her, the woman he loved? With a gift? A party? Some sort of physical contact? That thought made him shiver in excitement for reasons completely beyond his realm of understanding.

He could ask Leonard. Sheldon scowled. That was absolutely the last thing he wanted to do, sinking so low as to request assistance from her ex-boyfriend. Not only that, but the man would probably suggest alcohol. Wolowitz was also out of the question. No doubt the short, Jewish man would tell him to buy her lingerie or something of the sort. Sheldon realized it was desperation that led him to need advice. He sighed and turned to Rajesh with his question.

"How to greet her?"

Sheldon sighed, "Yes, Rajesh. I am unsure of the proper protocol to welcoming someone dear home from a long absence. You have experienced this, I'm certain, considering you sometimes return to India."

Raj turned away, going back to organizing memos and other paperwork on his absurdly large desk.

"Well, in my family they just hug and kiss me. But typically you get someone a gift. Flowers are typically for relatives, although it varies depending on the situation. Wine is also acceptable. You could also throw a party, but knowing you that isn't going to happen."

"A gift you say. That seems acceptable."

Raj smiled, "Yup."

"Thank you for your assistance, Raj. It has been invaluable."

The Indian sat back in shock, watching the tall, brunet male glide out the door of his office with purpose.

"Perhaps, if you are not busy—and obviously you aren't, because what you are working on is no longer relevant to string theory—I ask that you drive me to the florist so that I may purchase something for her."

Leonard glared at the blue-eyed Texan, but the 6 foot plus genius remained impassive.

"Well?"

The shorter man finally caved, sighing dramatically as he seemed to collapse, the air whooshing out of his lungs.

"Fine."

Sheldon turned away and stood in the doorway, "I'll be waiting by the car in an hour."

Sheldon perused the multitudes of flowers on display at the last florist shop Leonard had taken him to. The prior ones all were unsuitable, for some reason the flowers appearing old and dull to his eyes. They would not be acceptable for Penny. She needed to receive the best.

He sharply examined the details of each individual flower, trying to figure out which ones would be most appropriate. He was unsure of what _breed _of flower to get Penny. There were roses, tulips, irises, daisies, lilacs, orchids, freesias! He was overwhelmed by the varieties. He glanced over at Leonard, who was happily talking away on his Droid with Priya. He fought back the sudden urge to pout like a petulant child, instead turning his attention towards an employee.

"Sir, I have a few questions for you."

The man smiled, pushing his black-rimmed glasses up his nose, "Sure, what can I help you with?"

"A very important friend of mine is coming home after an eleven month odyssey. I have missed her terribly and have decided flowers are an appropriate welcoming gift. However, as I do not normally buy flowers, I am unsure as to which would be appropriate for the situation."

"Oh," the clerk was—amazingly enough—unfazed, "this happens a lot. I'll ask you a few questions myself."

Sheldon nodded, finding nothing wrong with it, "Very well."

"How close are the two of you?"

"I am unsure as to where I currently stand in the friendship paradigm, but we get along very well, despite our bickering. Out of our social circle, she chose only to email me when she was away."

"Hm," the employee who's nametag read 'Atticus' nodded, absorbing the information as he scratched at the small beard beneath his lip.

"Is she a sweet woman? Or is she a bolder sort?"

Sheldon had to think. What did he mean by that? She did enjoy ice cream and chocolate. Häagen-Dazs was a regular occupant of her freezer and last Halloween she went through two bags of candy. But bold? She did say she was a "big ole five" …

"Yes, to both statements."

Atticus smiled broadly, "Are you romantically interested in her?"

Sheldon stared at the man, fighting the urge to sputter indignantly. He was appalled at such an open question! "I do not believe that is any of your business."

"Yeah, okay. You like her," He just smiled, chuckling as he headed toward a selection of brightly colored flowers.

"At first, I was going to tell you to get a small bouquet of delphinium and stargazers, but since you 'didn't tell me' if you were romantically interested in this woman, I'm going to suggest a larger bouquet with more variety."

Sheldon blinked, "Why change your decision based upon irrelevant and prying information?"

Atticus shrugged, smiling. "I have a feeling a larger bouquet will better represent your intent."

Sheldon was puzzled, but remained silent. He nodded his accord.

"So, this one here has a great meaning," Atticus said, pulling out a hyacinth, "that would go well with some yellow aster." He smiled at Sheldon, flitting around the shop, plucking flowers as he went, "I'd also add in some forget-me-nots, daisies, gardenias, irises, primrose, and stock for a bouquet."

Sheldon stared at it, wanting to believe the good-natured florist.

"Would you buy this if you were in my situation?"

Atticus nodded, "Absolutely. I'd want to impress and make my lady friend happy. Don't you?"

Sheldon clutched the wrapped bouquet gently but tightly to his chest as though it was a lifeline while Leonard drove home. The radio droned on quietly and for once Sheldon didn't complain, nor did he want to play any car games. The sound was entirely tolerable when compared to the obnoxiously loud beating of his heart.

He hardly noticed anything as his roommate drove. Even when he bypassed the normal route Sheldon did not comment. He still had no idea how to greet her. He felt terribly guilty that he had not replied to her emails or texts. He worried about how to explain to her that he hadn't meant it; he'd wanted to reply, he really did! But it was simply too difficult to respond. It hurt so much.

But he also worried that his premeditated speech would come across too brusque and cold. He needed her to know he wanted to attend the movie premiere with her, that he wanted to spend more time with her. He had missed her terribly and now she was home. He wanted to tell her firsthand how he had proved string theory, despite the fact that she wouldn't understand his explanation. He wanted to see her smile, the way her eyes lit up and became glowing emeralds of emotion. He wanted to be able to smell shampoo and soap mixed with her natural scent that had become such a comfort. He wanted to dance with her, to be _close_ to her. Good Lord, did he miss her.

Sheldon realized that the closer to home Leonard drove the louder and faster his heart beat. It pounded wildly against his sternum, thumping like a hummingbird's wings. He was afraid he would break some ribs from its furious assault—until his brain reminded him that such an occurrence was physiologically impossible. It seemed he became forgetful of such basic knowledge where she was concerned. It was most definitely cause by his attachment to Penny.

"Leonard, she knows I never replied to her queries about my person. Will she be upset?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the road. "I don't know, Sheldon. It's best to just be honest with her. Tell her why you didn't. It will be easier than trying to avoid it or—god forbid—lying."

The Texan let out a sigh, slouching in his seat, "I suppose you are correct. I had assumed as such, but I have second guessed my own intelligence. This never happens."

"You really love her, don't you?"

Sheldon felt his face heat and he cursed his traitorous body. He found no reason to lie.

"Yes. I do."

Leonard said nothing but when Sheldon looked over, his roommate was smiling. Confused, Sheldon turned to look out the window and before he knew it, Leonard had brought them back to the apartment building. Wolowitz and Rajesh were waiting by the door.

"So, Sheldon, you excited to see Penny?"

"Nice flowers, dude."

"Guys, leave Sheldon alone. He's nervous," Leonard warned.

"Oh. Well, jeez, Sheldon! Why didn't you tell us we were getting her gifts? Now I look like a cheap schmuck!"

Raj rolled his eyes at his friend, smiling at Sheldon, "They're very beautiful. I'm sure Penny will love them."

"It is not of my fault that you are not competent enough to have remembered it is an appropriate social convention to give a gift upon the return of a dear friend, Wolowitz."

"Howard, Raj, please. Sheldon's freaked enough as it is. We need to leave him to his own devices."

"Yeah, alright."

"Got it."

Sheldon exhaled loudly, anxious and incredibly aggravated that Howard and Rajesh had arrived the exact time he and Leonard had returned home. He had been planning on going over his speech he was going to give Penny in peace. He had wanted to be alone with his thoughts before summoning up courage to go talk to her. Alas, that was no longer possible. His hands shook subtly.

As the nerd herd rounded the landing to the final set of stairs, Sheldon's self-proclaimed Vulcan hearing picked up on the soft sound of music. It was obviously coming from Penny's apartment, he knew no one else who would play music at such unacceptable decibel levels. He swallowed tensely, hoping that his friends would not hear—despite that he knew they would.

"Hey, Penny's home!"

"Yeah, Sheldon! Why don't you go knock?"

Sheldon glared at his colleagues half heartedly before staring wide-eyed at the entrance to her apartment. The 4B taunted him, as did the light shining across the floor from the small space beneath the door. He began to shake again. Sheldon had no time to react as Leonard gave him a strong push in the direction of her apartment. He stumbled, staring over his shoulder with a bewildered expression.

"What are you insinuating?"

Leonard, Howard, and Raj smiled, "Go on. Welcome her home."

"But—!"

All three gave him a look that left no room for argument—he wondered if they'd been studying under his mother—and he sighed, caving under their uniform peer pressure for the first time in his life.

"Very well."

The customary triple knock was softer than usual and his voice was barely above a murmur. His heart was racing, the sound of it deafening in his ears, and his palms had begun to perspire. Adjusting the flowers in his grip, Sheldon swallowed thickly. He was nervous. There was no sound of decreased volume and he turned away from the door, deciding she hadn't heard him. He took two steps away when his name was called.

"Sheldon?"

Her voice was just as he remembered it and he nearly gasped aloud at the surge of warmth that flooded his previously cold being. He turned away from his broadly grinning friends, panic on his face as he met the gaze of his unrequited love. If he were one for clichés, he would have said it seemed that time had stopped, leaving him to stare at her for eternity. She was _breathtaking_. Clad in gray sweatpants, a black slouchy cardigan and a red tank top she had never looked so beautiful to him before then. His breath caught in his throat and the world seemed to return to its normal speed. She squealed loudly and launched her lithe form at him, the sudden movement barely giving him time to accommodate the flowers as she jumped. Her arms embraced him tightly as she hung from his neck. He could not hug her back.

She apparently noticed the other three, greeting them cheerfully, "Oh! Hi guys! I'm home!"

He felt her wave and suddenly was yanked through her open apartment door, which slammed behind them loudly, leaving the trio in the hall.

**- T – B – B – T –**

"Well, that was interesting."

"Dude, she just … _jumped_ him. Literally!"

Leonard just smiled, unlocking his apartment.

"How the _hell_ did robot-man _Sheldon_ get the girl?"

"Dude, beats me, but they deserve each other. They already acted like an old married couple, might as well make it official."

Leonard smiled to himself as he sat down in his armchair, amused and proud that his best friend had finally accepted his humanity. He laughed to himself.

_Homo Novus, my ass. You're human just like everyone else, Sheldon; just a man. Well, a highly intelligent man, but still, just a man._

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><p><strong>AN: **Aaaand that's a wrap, people! Again, please review because it motivates me and lets me know all my readers are enjoying my little piece of shipper fiction! I even accept anonymous reviews! So no lurking! Kthx._  
><em>


	11. Ardent Recipience

**A/N: **... I have no excuse for why it has taken me so long to post this. I've been so busy with life lately I guess writing was the farthest thing from my mind. So, dear readers, I deeply apologize for making you all wait so frakkin' long for an update. I promise, I will not abandon this. I WILL finish it, dammit! So, hopefully this chapter will make up for it! It's fluffy and delightful and hopefully enough to make you all forgive me for being a bad author. So please enjoy and don't forget to review! I love feedback!

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><p>You see I never stopped loving you,<br>even though I couldn't see you.

Sarah, _The End of the Affair_

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

_Written by Amputation_

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><p>Sheldon was overwhelmed, to say the least. The heady scent of her hair and flesh was suddenly everywhere. Golden locks invaded his vision and caressed his face like the most sensuous of silks. Her bronzed arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck and the sensation of her dainty fingers digging into his scapulae was nearly enough to make him groan in satisfaction. Her creamy thighs clad in those sinfully short shorts encased his hips in the most intimate of positions, the feeling of her lean body rubbing against his own nearly too much for his beautiful mind to handle. He felt painfully over-stimulated, the sudden rush of everything that was Penny swallowing his senses and making him feel lightheaded. The room spun and he found himself enrapt in nothing but Penny.<p>

As soon as the door latched, she disentangled herself from him with an astonishing, practiced grace that allowed him to gather his bearings. He watched her, eyes focused on nothing but her as she entwined her fingers with his. He looked down at their joined hands and then slowly to her face, her face so painfully beautiful and serene he thought he very well might forget to breathe ever again.

They kept their gazes locked for many long moments before the blonde gently pulled him toward the couch, her green eyes still never leaving his blue. His knees gave out after she tucked herself into her cushion, feel and legs pulled up under her rear and he was immensely grateful for the presence of the furniture for otherwise he would have fallen to the floor and merely lain there forever.

Their interlocked gazes blazed and intertwined fingers clutched desperately as they sat in silence, neither one able to find words. He studied her face, allowing his eye contact to break. He felt like a dehydrated man and her features his dihydrogen monoxide. As his vision fell to her lips, those deliciously full, red lips, he nearly lost himself. Returning his eyes to hers, he squeezed her hand gently.

"Welcome home."

All the silence had been building up crested like that of a tidal wave, finally breaking as Penny gasped a sob, her face twisting into a desperate expression of longing and need. With a sudden lurch, she buried her face in his chest, her hands fisting in his robot t-shirt as she clung to him. She began talking and crying simultaneously, her hot tears soaking the cotton of his outer shirt as she whispered and gasped out unintelligible words to him. Sheldon tensed.

"Oh God I missed you so much I-I can't believe how long it's been and I was so excited to tell you all about New Zealand and so I emailed you a-and texted all the time but after the first three I figured you weren't getting them or you didn't care and I-I it made me really upset and it was s-so much harder without you and it's really not fair of me to blame you b-because Leonard emailed me about your success and God I'm so proud of you, you goddamn genius Oh fuck I missed you so much oh God so much when I was gone and—and I-I thought you were d-dead or really, really mad at me and I was crying a lot and everyone there was so nice to me and—!"

Sheldon was desperately trying to follow her breathless monologue before it was cut off by a crippling sob, but found he was failing miserably at the task. Hesitantly, he reached out and lightly laid a hand on her back, rubbing gently in a familiar counter clockwise rotation. He pulled her closer as her sobbing increased in intensity and gave in to the urge to bury his nose in her beautiful hair. He nearly began crying himself as he inhaled that wonderful scent that was uniquely Penny, instead sighing and gently offering the only words of assurance and comfort he knew

"There, there, Penny. Don't worry, Sheldon's here."

His anxiety spiked as his words did not have the desired effect, tensing further as her sobbing increased exponentially, her already tight grip on his shirt increasing to the point where it actually hurt. He didn't complain for once, knowing it would be selfish to do so and instead just gritted his teeth and remained silent. He continued to console her in his own awkward way, trying to calm her hysterics and breathing her in with every word. He truly missed her just as she did him, if not more.

"Shh. Penny, there, there. I'm here. Sheldon's here."

Slowly, her painful grip lightened and she pulled back from him somewhat, wiping at her eyes with the backs of her knuckles. She hiccuped and let out a soft laugh, "I c-can't believe h-how different that sounds now."

"I beg your pardon?"

Sparkling green eyes looked up at him with tears still spilling forth like crystalline gems, but a smile was present on her face.

"Do you remember when I dislocated my shoulder?"

_I accidentally grabbed your breast; how could I forget _that_?_

"I have an eidetic memory, Penny. Yes, I remember. You fell on account of your lack of adhesive ducks."

She laughed again, the sound like such a relief to his desperate ears, "You said the same thing in the waiting room and I wanted to kill you. But right now, killing you is the farthest thing from my mind. It's so comforting."

Sheldon's lips twitched upwards as he looked down at her nestled so perfectly in his arms, like she belonged there. He reached up a hand, his thumb gently wiping away the remnants her tears.

"Now, Penny, I was unable to understand your long monologue and if it is important, I ask you now to repeat it at a slower pace so I may catch your hurried words."

"Oh. Right," she mumbled, leaning back into his chest, tucking her head beneath his chin.

Sheldon smirked against her hair as she repeated much of her monologue but more calmly this time around. Her breath against his chest warm and comforting and he found himself closing his eyes and relaxing as he continued rubbing circles on her back while she went on about New Zealand and her movie.

"—and it was really hard without support of a friend. Granted, I adored Jim's company, but it got very difficult to function because I missed you so terribly. It got more difficult when Mr. Nimoy showed up."

Sheldon's breath hitched; he'd forgotten! Leonard Nimoy, his favorite actor, had stopped by to visit William Shatner who played her father in the movie. She'd probably touched him. He smiled into her hair, incredibly pleased should such a thing have come to pass.

"He was so much like you, Sheldon. It was so striking the way he moved and spoke. He only visited for a few days, but watching him made me realize how important you were to me and how much I frakkin' missed you." She paused, and he could feel her jaw moving, telling him she was worrying that delicious lower lip of hers with her teeth. He suppressed the sudden and shocking surge of arousal that shot through him at the discovery, focusing on her words as she spoke again.

"It was so hard seeing what could easily be an older version of you walking around the set when we were on breaks. But he was so wonderful to me, him and Bill both. He and I talked a lot while he was there. He really helped me through my pathetic bouts of loneliness. He wanted to meet you, you know, before I told him he'd filed a restraining order against you."

Penny looked up and smiled at him, her eyes red and puffy from all her shed tears. Sheldon almost forgot how to breathe at how perfect she was, his mind shutting down. Penny was his personification of Euler's Formula, he realized, and it felt so right to think so.

"I told him you would be at the premiere with me."

Sheldon sighed at her playfully, "Social obligations dictate that I have to go now that you informed someone of my impending presence. I cannot disappoint."

Her smile brightened, lighting her whole face with joy and he would swear he experienced cardiac arrhythmia. Good Lord, how he'd missed her. It still astounded him how much he loved her. She suddenly looked away, down at his lap and frowning while her fingers traced various shapes against the t-shirt over his chest.

"After a while, though, I wasn't sure if you'd even want to go with me. I mean, you stopped replying to my emails and texts and I was so sure you were pissed at me. I was constantly thinking about what I'd done wrong. I thought of ways I'd messed up your schedule, your priorities and well, I felt terrible. And then my stupid brain decided to take my misery further and I thought—" Penny choked on her words, clasping a hand over her lips as tears once again welled up in her gorgeous green eyes. Sheldon tensed at her sudden distress, tightening his embrace in attempted comfort, "—and I thought you were _dead_." The word was whispered and full of pain, twin tears tracking their way down her lightly sun-kissed cheeks.

"Well, Penny, as you can plainly see I am alive and quite well."

The cry she released then sounded indignant, not at him but at herself and her thoughts, "I know! I feel so stupid, but I was really scared you'd left me."

Her words initially confused him for a moment seeing as the two of them weren't "together" in the sense of dating term. He was unsure how to respond to such a statement, but he could feel her mounting distress in the tightening of her muscles beneath his hands. Without thinking, he held her gently, leaning down by her ear.

"You know I am a terrible liar, Penny. I told you I would still be here when you returned, did I not?"

His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, and pulling back from her ear to examine her face filled him with relief. She was smiling gratefully, another stubborn tear trailing down her face which he quickly wiped away. Penny needed no words, for Sheldon could hear her "thank you" loud and clear as it shone through her expression better than any statement could have hoped to be.

Sheldon's eyes widened as he suddenly released her, remembering his gift to her lying on the coffee table. As he turned from her, he would swear there was a flash of rejection that flit across her face. The idea of rejecting her made him nauseous and he worked fast. He offered her the bouquet sheepishly, unable to make eye contact.

"It is a common social convention to offer a neighbor a gift of home-warming after returning from a long absence. So I bought you something."

Penny gingerly accepted the bouquet from his hand, her eyes filled with awe at the beautiful floral arrangement. She caught his eyes and laughed, finding something amusing in his expression. The sound of her amusement filled Sheldon with warmth and a sudden intense feeling of pride. It was short lived, fading away as anxiety and excitement filled his being when she suddenly hovered over him, kissing his cheek in a manner he assumed was supposed to be chaste, but left his body humming. It was as though sparks were shooting down his spine and a fire alit within his abdomen. He shut his eyes and let out a silent, shuddering breath. She had no idea what she did to him. No idea at all. His eyes slowly opened and he looked over to her smiling face.

"Thank you, Sheldon. It means so much."

He felt his face heat as his blood surged upwards in embarrassment, and he looked down to his folded hands in his lap, "You're welcome, Penny."

Silence filled the room in a comfortable manner as Penny stood from her seat and went into the kitchen. Sheldon was still embarrassed, unable to look up from his shaking hands in his lap and inferred via the sounds she made that she was retrieving two cups and opening some sort of beverage, according the clinking of glass and the low fizzing noise that penetrated the otherwise silent air. Sheldon settled back into the couch, finding it more comfortable than usual. Curious.

"Here, sweetie. Small glass for you."

He stared at the glass, then the bottle tucked under her arm, and then her, "But I don't drink."

"It's okay. It won't get you drunk, it's just sparkling cider."

He sighed, picking up the glass and smelling it. She was truthful. It smelled crisp and bubbly and just like apple cider. He looked over at Penny and she offered him a gentle smile.

"A toast to," she paused, worrying her lower lip with her teeth again and Sheldon sucked in a breath, "friendship, and coming home."

Sheldon nodded, a knot tightening in his chest at the word friendship. No point in denying that he wished for something more with the beautiful woman beside him any longer. He said nothing, but raised his glass to meet hers in a pleasant chink.

The two sipped and sighed. Sheldon put his glass down on the coffee table and turned to his blonde neighbor.

"Penny, I am not very good at apologies, but I do believe one is in order."

She furrowed her brows in confusion and opened her mouth to protest, but he hurried on, holding up a hand, "I am apologizing for the lack of responses you received to your email and text-based attempts at communication. It was … astonishingly trying to cope logically with your absence and it was all I could do to simply attend work and my nightly schedule," he paused, "Even my experiment was a task and a half to complete." He looked at her pointedly, an honest and open expression on his face. She closed her still open mouth, blinking owlishly at him.

"I was completely unaware as to how attached I am to your presence, and it was an absolute challenge to function without it."

Penny stared at him with what Sheldon had come to recognize as a bewildered expression on her face. His embarrassment immediately working its way to his own face, coloring it red as the silence reigned in his neighbor's apartment. He grew uncomfortable and fidgeted under her gaze the longer she remained quiet, his courage rapidly fading. He didn't know how to act in this sort of situation and his anxiety climbed as he awaited a response.

**T – B – B – T –**

Penny wasn't sure if she'd actually heard what had just exited his mouth or if it was all just some elaborate hallucination. She was baffled. It was more than baffled; she was absolutely stunned speechless that her precious robot-man had missed her. Had he really missed her as desperately as she did him? Like she could not look at the sky without cursing its color did he too curse plants for matching her eyes? She almost laughed at the absurdity of that thought; he wasn't _that_ sentimental … wasn't he?

She'd realized the second she'd got on her plane that she was in love with him. He was the Wall-E to her EVE, the Doctor to her Rose, the Arthur to her Guinevere, the Jareth to her Sarah, and the Noah to her Allie. She loved him more than she'd loved anyone else in her entire life. It had terrified her to realize something so profound on her way to a place where he would be absent. It scared her to realize he was nothing like the man she'd expected to fall in love with the majority of her life. He was no hero, more like a villain to match her heroine. It fascinated her to realize that he could very well be capable of loving her back.

Just the thought of him made her heart race to the point where she thought it might burst with love. The faded memories of his detergent's scent made her skin gasp in need, desperate to clad itself in those delicious, perfect fabrics that were uniquely him. Visions of his delicious, simple scent haunted her, and she couldn't go into the hotel bathroom without crying at the bars of Dial soap she requested the maid staff leave her. Dreams of his hands on her hips, moving her with him in wickedly sensuous motions made her awake suddenly, desperate and lonely and extremely aroused only to find them to be imagined. He'd invaded every aspect of her life, and now he was like the air she breathed.

He definitely wasn't a robot as his friends called him teasingly. Robots couldn't dance as well as he could. Robots couldn't play the piano so beautifully, as they lacked the emotion necessary to create such eloquent melodies for her. Robots couldn't hold her so tenderly and softly tell her he would still be here waiting for her return. Robots couldn't miss her the way he said he did. Sheldon was human. He was her Sheldon. He was the one perfect, intelligent man for her, regardless of his nerdy and crazy mannerisms. It often brought a smile to her face just thinking of him.

She figured her love for him had all started that day she'd found his shirt in her laundry. That particular article of clothing she'd taken it with her to New Zealand and slept with it every night. She had hoped it would help her have a way to keep him close. It hadn't worked as well as she'd hoped. Every night the scent that clung to the pale blue fabric faded just a little more, and every passing day without his triple knock and overwhelming presence wore her down until she'd had a hard time forcing a smile to work.

Leonard Nimoy really had helped her. He'd been married twice and seemed to be wise in the ways of romance and love. He'd learned as on set as Spock and through his own life experience. The man was incredible. She was extremely grateful for his presence because without his support she knew she'd probably have succumbed to her misery and failed horribly at her acting.

Thinking on it, it was likely that she'd been subconsciously in love with him since the day she'd first seen him. Sheldon was definitely someone you could call attractive in a strange sort of way, and his hyper-aware nature was unique and made him stand out amongst the masses of males in her life. He had done nothing but help her throughout the time she'd been living across from him, and that probably heightened her subconscious awareness of him. The t-shirt had been a huge catalyst, and an important one at that. She'd learned exactly how _delicious_ he smelled and how hygienic he was—a rarity amongst most bachelors—and the dancing had been the seal to the deal. His hands, his scent, his _body_, even the way he moved was hypnotizing. She had loved him from day one.

Sheldon's nervous fidgeting brought her out of her thoughts. She stared at his face, eyes tracing the wrinkles in his forehead that betrayed his anxiety, the frown that marred his beautiful cupid's bow lips, the soft angle of his nose and the sharp angles of his face all framed his eyes; those gorgeous eyes that were always just too blue. She felt herself smile as warmth trickled through her veins and heated her from the inside out. Penny leaned against his chest, closing her eyes and murmuring.

"Thank you."

Sheldon's arms draped around her, encasing her in a warm, protective embrace. Her heart hammered wildly in her breast and she wanted to cry again, although these would be happy tears. She snuggled closer to her tall, blue eyed man, comforted by his embrace and immovable presence. She smiled a private little smile, silently hoping she could find a way to make the perfect, beautiful-minded man fall as deeply in love with her as she was to him. His nose somehow found its way into her hair and pressed gently against her scalp, the slow breaths escaping it hot and tingly against her skin. She smiled, feeling safe and warm as she listened to his gentle hummingbird heartbeat.

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><p><strong>AN:** I hope you all enjoyed it! :) Again, please review because it'll motivate me to get writing whenever I have the time and let's me know that people still actually want to read this little piece of literature. I accept anonymous reviews, too! So no excuses and no lurking! Please and thank you. :)


	12. Effervescent Gregariousness

**A/N: **So. Latest chapter, ho! I altered quite a bit in this one, removing the really unbelievable bits, especially those regarding a favorite Vulcan and whatnot. Just seemed a bit too far-fetched ... hopefully it's easier to read and less of a jumbled mess. Regardless, thank you all for your motivational words and delightful response to the updated version! Your humble author bows to you all! Please review, per usual, cause it makes me a happy author! Yay! Enjoy!

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><p>Time together is just never quite enough.<br>When we're apart whatever are you thinking of?  
>What will it take to make or break this hint of love?<br>So tell me darling, do you wish we'd fall in love?  
>All the time.<p>

"Saltwater Room," Owl City

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

****Written by Amputation

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><p>"—and obviously the only correct color scheme would be a neutral pairing, Penny. The colors selected must be at optimal and most aesthetically pleasing levels as given by Schrodinger in his 1919 article <em>Theorie der Pigmente von größter Leuchtkraft<em>. Seeing as the expression you're wearing is clearly confused, it means 'Theory of Pigments with Highest Luminosity'."

"… why the _hell_ do we have to consult _physics_ about color combinations?"

"It was actually founded by a chemist, but that is beside the point. By using the standards set by physics, we can select the most pleasing levels of color as I have previously stated!"

"Yeah, but have you taken into account our own skin, hair and eye colors?"

"And why would I care about such a trivial and superficial matter? My outward appearance has little relevance to the aesthetics—"

"Yeah? Well _screw_ your aesthetics! Take 'em and ram 'em up your butt, Sheldon Cooper! 'Cause you know what? _My_ aesthetics are _always _pleasing and I don't use frakkin' physics! I pick colors that match my season!"

"… I beg your pardon?"

"Well, it's really basic. Since I'm a blonde with light eyes, I'm a 'summer' and summers look good in pastels, lavenders, plums, rose-brown, soft blue colors, and soft neutrals that have either rose or blue undertones. You're probably a 'winter', what with that pasty white skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. You should wear um, probably stark, sharp colors. White, navy blue, um, probably some reds. Icy pastels should be good, too. You definitely can't wear beige, orange, or gold."

"… Penny, are you really basing my wardrobe colors upon physical details rather than science?"

"Duh. Seriously, Sheldon, leave the fashion to me. If your outfits are anything to go by, my help is desperately needed, honey."

"My clothes are perfectly acceptable, how dare you?"

"Pff, yeah, perfectly acceptable for a ten year old who still wets the bed and picks his nose. Yeah, shudder away, Rocket Scientist."

"I am a theoretical physicist, Penny! I am a Homo novus, devoted to science and all it offers, including optimally pleasing color combinations."

"Yeah, well, your science is good in theory but like Communism, fails in practice."

"I beg your pardon, Penny. Your ignorance has no bounds! Shall I offer an example of science succeeding? Tell me, Penny, does a held apple fall when one overturns an outstretched hand?"

"… yes?"

"Case in point! That example proves science in practice—Newtonian physics, to be absolutely precise—obviously does not fail as you have claimed."

"Jeez, you gotta' be literal, don't you? Well, anyway, what I meant was it's not practical all the time. Sometimes other details overshadow science-y stuff."

"I cannot accept what you are saying as truth."

"I'll freakin' prove it to you! I'll put you in orange and take a picture and then put you in blue and take a picture. You can compare them side by side and I can guarantee you'd look better in blue."

"…"

"HA! I win."

"Absolutely not. I was simply thinking."

"But you didn't have a reply! I'm right and you know it!"

"Preposterous!"

"Dammit, Sheldon! Get in there."

"What are you—agh! This changing room is contaminated! There could be _Clostridium difficile_ or-or—God forbid!—_Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus_ in here!"

"Whatever the hell that crap is, I doubt it's in the room for cryin' out loud! So too damn bad, I'm getting you some shirts."

"Penny! P-People have gotten naked in here!"

"Well, duh. It's a changing room. Uh, ma'am?—"

"Penny, I'm hyperventilating!"

"—can you find me two shirt and sweater combinations? Yeah, an orange sweater with a—"

"Oh dear God! There's _hair _on the floor! I-It's matted and—"

"—button-down and a navy sweater with a second button-down, if you could."

"—oh Lord, it's got _something_ in it! Eek! Penny, I need some Purell! I touched the seat!"

"Um, probably light knit with a V-neck—SHUT UP, SHELDON!—ah, yes, um, a men's tall."

"Purell! Oh, Lord, where's my inhaler? My pharynx is closing!"

"No, I don't know the exact size—SHELDON, YOU'RE FINE!—Jesus, wom—"

"Mama'd be angry at you for bringing Jesus in—"

"—an, you saw him! He's six foot something and skinny as all hell! Just find the damn sweaters!"

"_Penny_!"

"_What_, Sheldon?"

"… nothing."

Pinching the bridge of her nose and muttering angrily under her breath, Penny swore her Praying Mantis was going to drive her utterly bonkers. They'd been shopping—much to Sheldon's chagrin—and browsing the shelves of a department store for only a few minutes and already he was arguing with her over fashion sense—something which he had none of to begin with! Sure, his bizarre clothing combinations suited him sometimes, but it wasn't really appropriate for all walks of life. Truly, secretly, she loved his geeky t-shirts. Without them, he just wouldn't be the same Sheldon but … ohhh, how she wanted to get his tight little ass in a well-fitting pair of dark denim jeans! Her mouth watered at the thought before she shook herself from her inner musings.

He thought that heinous plaid blazers were the epitome of high fashion. She often told him otherwise, especially so in the prior ten minutes. Her physicist really _was_ adorable, but she knew he had so much more _potential_! And Penny hated to see it wasted. As she stood outside his dressing room after handing off the articles of clothing the sales clerk had returned with, she thought back on the few days she'd been home.

She'd fallen asleep on him that first day, but he was gone when she'd awakened from her tear-and-laughter induced nap. During her catnap, he'd apparently gotten himself disentangled from her, put her pillow in his place, and covered her with that hideous blanket she'd crocheted with her aunt while visiting her at the hospital before she passed on back in middle school. Waking without him had been very bittersweet, and secretly she had hoped that he would stay with her through the night. Unfortunately, he hadn't. The next day, they'd gone to the comic book store per Sheldon's no-room-for-deviation schedule. She smirked at the memory of stunning him speechless …

"_Penny, why are you talking to me? It is New Comic Book day and I wish to find a suitable one and then leave. You are occupying my time when it should be spent on deciding whether to select DC or Marvel," he'd groused, not looking up from his comic book choice. She'd watched his impossibly blue eyes dart across the page he had been on, nearly hypnotized by the beautiful color._

"_I have a question."_

_He'd turned to her then, shooting a look that had been clearly displeased._

_ "Okay, so I've got this issue. I've been reading all the Batman comics that I borrowed from you, but some of the stuff from the '70s isn't making any sense. I'm a fan of Selena and Bruce—"_

_Sheldon blinked, clearly processing her statement, "Catwoman and Batman?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_He'd put down his comic book and given her an interested look, motioning with his hand, "Continue."_

_ "Anyway, stuff from the '70s isn't making much sense. I mean, Selena as a murderer? I just don't see that happening."_

_His face had alit like fireworks, "Ah, the Earth-B plight."_

_ "Huh?" _

_Sheldon had gone into full-on lecture mode and it had made Penny smile. After all, she secretly loved it when he was like that, so passionate and willing to educate her—someone he usually considered so beneath him intellectually. His impromptu tutoring often made her wonder about other things._

_ "The stories from the 1970s are some of my least favorites. The dramatic difference was so out of character that this version of Catwoman was assigned to the alternate world of Earth-B, a proxy Earth that included stories that could not be considered canonical on Earth-One or Earth-Two."_

_ "Oh! Okay, that's good. I like Selena. I probably wouldn't like her so much any more if she'd committed murder."_

_He'd scoffed, "Of course, you women and your distaste for murder."_

_She'd glared half-heartedly at him, fisting her hands on her hips in challenge, "And what, you appreciate it?"_

_He'd shot her a blank look, "If it's done exceptionally creatively," he'd paused, causing Penny to worry that maybe that _one lab accident_ had happened when he finished with a "bazinga."_

_She'd laughed, relieved and amused._

_ "However, Penny, the 1989 "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper" documents the murder of Selina's former romantic partner."_

_She'd tilted her head to the side in question, "Did she have a reason?"_

_ "He had kidnapped and abused her sister Maggie. Although the story is not well received by many—"_

_ "Oh. That's fine then."_

_He furrowed his brow like he did when something was illogical to him, an expression Penny absolutely loved, "You have just contradicted yourself. You previously stated you probably would not like Selina's character had she committed murder."_

_ "Yeah, but in this case she saved her sister. It's a paradox like the 'if you could push a button and save a trainload of people but kill those waiting on the platform or just let the train crash and kill only those on the train.' There's really no right answer."_

_ "That's very insightful of you, Penny."_

_ "I try."_

_She'd smiled and would swear she'd seen his lips twitch upwards._

That had been a good day. The second was uneventful, spent making calls about premieres and outfits and appearances. Misery. The only good thing that had happened was when her friend Franz called to ask about her sad excuse for a love life …

_"Hello?"_

_ "Penny, dear! It's Franz!"_

_She'd immediately brightened at the sound of her androgynous friend's voice, sitting down on the couch and curling up in her crocheted blanket, nursing her glass of red wine._

_ "Francine! What a surprise!"_

_ "Darling, how many times do I have to tell you? It's Franz!_ Franz_!"_

_Penny'd laughed loudly, "Of course, _Franz_. So, sweetie, what's the occasion?"_

_ "Ohh, how I love those words on your tongue, dear one," the other had crooned dramatically before sobering, "No particular reason. Simply calling to see how my little A-lister is doing."_

_ "Franz! Don't be ridiculous!" she'd blushed, "I'm not an A-lister!"_

_Her friend's voice had wavered in a quiet chuckle, "Truthfully, I just wanted to ask you how you were readjusting. I hope the anti-jetlag medication I'd suggested worked? Whenever I have to go to Paris for shows it always does the trick for me."_

_ "Yeah, that stuff was great! Seriously. Slept like a baby and I've adjusted really easily! You're the best, Franz."_

_ "Aw, I know, aren't I? Anyway, in all seriousness: how is the good Doctor?"_

_Penny'd grimaced and her chest had tightened uncomfortably at the thought of Sheldon and her feelings for him, "He's as clueless as ever, Franz," she mumbled somewhat sadly, flexing her fingers around the clear vessel for her wine._

_ "Figures. How could the stupid man not see you? Hell, you're sex on legs! He can't be for real if he's only interested in work and stupid hobbies! Penny, just give up on him and come to me!" the androgynous woman whined._

_ "The offer is generous, Franz, but unfortunately I don't bat for both teams. But you're right—unfortunately. I feel like our relationship is doomed to be a platonic one, despite my hopes."_

_ "Oh, darling! Don't give up yet! I know I said to, but it was a joke! Honest! He'll come around! You're a charming woman! And well, if he doesn't come around, I'll introduce him to the frying pan of hurt."_

_ Penny'd snorted in a most unladylike way, "He's never expressed any interest in women. Like, ever. He has one chick he hangs out with aside from me, but he's never expressed an interest in her. My other boys joke that one day he'll just be all mitosis-y and there'll be two of him, or that he'll spin a cocoon and sleep and emerge as some scary-ass new species. There's also the robot theory."_

_Franz had burst out in hysterics, "A-Are you serious right now?"_

_ "Serious as a heart attack."_

_ "Oh Penny," Franz sighed, "Well, what about wowing him with a new outfit?"_

"_Franz. Be real. The man doesn't notice that I walk around with my ass cheeks half hanging outta' my booty shorts and low cut shirts and push up bras," she snarked before chuckling and sipping her wine, "You just wanna' get me to model for you."_

_ "Yes, but that's beside the point! How about this, I make you a custom dress for the premiere. You know, something guaranteed to catch his eye and make him go hubba-hubba bow-chicka-WOWZA!" _

_It had been Penny's turn to break into hysterics, "O-Okay, you know I can't say no to a custom dress by you! How about I email you with some ideas and we figure out where we wanna' take this?"_

"_Sounds delightful, m'dear! I'll be awaiting your email! Chin up, okay, babe? You'll catch your elusive Doctor Whackadoodle. Just you wait!"_

"_Thanks, Francine. Really."_

"_Anytime, babe. Anytime. Love yah!"_

"_Love yah too!"_

_After hanging up, Penny had been so excited she couldn't resist researching and going utterly overboard. The email she ended up sending Franz had been massive and filled with hyperlinks and attached files. The fashion designer had not been perturbed but utterly excited. This dress was going to be amazing with a capital A!_

"Penny?"

The blonde was dragged back to reality by Sheldon's voice, "Yes, honey?"

"Are you really going to be taking photographs?"

"Absolutely."

"… darn."

He stepped out in the orange sweater ensemble and Penny felt her eye twitch. While the color on its own was actually quite a nice shade of ochre, it just looked awful on Sheldon. The color made his skin take the tone of someone with liver failure or who was slowly turning into a _Simpsons'_ character. She held up her phone and snapped a picture, "Okay, get that atrocious thing off and put on the other one."

"…" his grumbling was soft and Penny almost missed it as he locked himself in the changing room again. She laughed as she heard him growling something about taking a Purell bath when he got home, that luscious Texan drawl making itself apparent with his agitation. She licked her lips hungrily before flushing as she caught herself in the lusty action. She returned to her memories of recent days.

Her third day home she'd spent researching Star Trek and streaming some of the episodes online. The series was surprisingly wonderful and she found she also was in love with Spock's character. The logic loving Vulcan was easily becoming her favorite but she supposed she was biased, considering the similarities between the fictional alien and her beloved neighbor. She also found it really incredible that her boys knew Klingon. That would never be something she could learn, after all it was hard enough making a movie that was mostly in another language, albeit a fake one. It still just blew her away with how _smart_ her Whackadoodle was.

"Penny?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I'm done."

He stepped out of the room and Penny felt her breath catch. The navy blue sweater was lightweight and had a small red moose embroidered above the left breast near the V-neck collar and just ghosted his lithe frame. His black-and-blue striped, long-sleeve dress shirt complimented the paleness of his skin and made his eyes glow. The dark colors complimented his pale skin, making it appear milky and soft. She tilted her head to the side, imagining different shirt and sweater combinations. Had he been wearing a white or ice blue button-down shirt underneath that navy sweater, he would look sharp and very, very attractive. She snapped a picture.

"Okay, we're done. You can change. I want you to buy those you're wearing, though."

"Why?"

"Because it looks good. Now change so we can pay and go."

Sheldon sighed, "Very well."

**-T – B – B – T–**

"… so I was surprised to find that in _Star Trek V_ and _VI_ Uhura was a romantic interest for Scotty. Personally, I find it better to pair her with Spock, per the new movie. Because, I mean, come on! All those little moments in the original series? Seriously! She sang a song about him in Charlie X! Not to mention all the others! You know, the ones in episodes Who Mourns for Adonais, That Which Survives, Is There No Truth in Beauty, Tomorrow is Yesterday, The Immunity Syndrome, The Man Trap, The Changeling, and Bread and Circuses!" she recounted, ticking back fingers as she listed off episodes.

"I can see your point, and you back it up with valid proof; however I fail to see the importance of romance in the series."

"Romance is always there. It isn't fair that Kirk gets all the girls!"

"I suppose you are right. However, Vulcans are taught to be logical, not emotional—"

"Sheldon, I'm surprised at you. Do you not remember that his mother, Amanda Grayson, was _human_ and that Sarek married her not only out of obligation but because he _fell in love_ with her?"

"Ah. You are right. Although I must ask, when did you become so well versed in Star Trek?"

"Oh, behind your back. I've been saving it all up just to rub it in your face."

"Well, congratulations, my face has been rubbed."

Penny laughed, swinging open the door of the apartment building.

"Ooh, I wonder if it came!"

"If what came?"

She smiled, "Oh, my Grammie sent me some stuff."

"I see."

She bounded to her mailbox, seeing a package on the table with her name on it. The return address was hand written and the scrawl was in excellent, old style penmanship.

"Oh, yay!" she tore into the wrapping tape, pulling the box apart. On top of tissue paper, a white piece of paper sat, an elegant "Penelope" scrawled on it. Breaking the wax seal with "HC" on it, she skimmed through the letter.

_Dearest Penelope,_

_ I do hope you enjoy these, I had fun making them. Tell Sheldon I say hello._

_ Live long and prosper, was it?_

_ Grammie, H.C._

"Aw, Grammie! You're so cute!"

Sheldon lurked over her shoulder like a curious giraffe, "Why is your Grammie telling me hello? Oh, well I'm surprised she is well versed in Star Trek—"

"Shush, you!"

She dug around in the cardboard box, pulling out two smaller white ones, each labeled differently with an "S" and a "P".

"This is yours, honey."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What?"

"It's for you from my Grammie. A gift for all the help you gave me. Don't worry, you don't need to reciprocate."

"Good. I wouldn't know what to purchase a member of your family I have never been acquainted with."

Sheldon opened the box carefully and when he looked inside he stared open mouthed at what was inside.

"Oh my Lord …"

"Awesome, right? I had Mr. Nimoy sign something for me and Grammie embroidered a copy of his signature onto a Star Trek themed scarf! See? It's even in the science division colors with the right logo and stuff! So d'ya like it?"

She didn't think his eyes could get any wider, the childish expression making him look so utterly vulnerable, "L-Leonard Nimoy did this for you a-and your Grammie?"

She nodded, "Grammie even made a matching scarf for me!" she exclaimed, holding up her near-identical one in the same science division blue.

"Penny, how can—"

"Come with me to the premiere. That's thanks enough."

He nodded solemnly, allowing the hand that held the scarf clench and drop to his side. He took two long strides towards her, and without awkwardness he managed to embrace Penny tightly and fiercely. She melted, his affirmation bringing happy tears to her eyes.

"I will."

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><p><strong>AN: **Aaaaand that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this! I'll update again as soon as I'm able! Review please! I accept anonymous ones! DO IT! Please and thank you.


	13. Chalybeous Pulchritude

**A/N:** Jeegus, guys. I didn't know when I was gonna' finish this chapter but by god did I finish it today! It's very much so similar to the old version, but I tweaked a couple things and made everything flow so much nicer. As always, I hope all my lovely little readers enjoy this foray into a fictional but oh so desperately desired relationship between everyone's beloved Sheldon and Penny! Please review, as it makes me happy and helps my creative juices to get to work! Enjoy!

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><p>In spite of all,<br>Some shape of beauty moves away the pall  
>From our dark spirits.<p>

John Keats, _Endymion_

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

****Written by Amputation

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><p>Sheldon paced his apartment for the forty fifth time—he'd been keeping count in his attempts to keep his sudden onset of nervousness and insecurity to a dull roar inside. He hated feeling this way and it was why he scoffed on emotions in general! They were what made up the difference between <em>Homo novus <em>and _homo sapiens._ And unfortunately, he was still a part of the latter species. He paused in his route, looking to the door and then the ceiling in thought. Penny had implied that she was going to go to a friend's studio today. Something about getting fitted for a dress she'd been designing with her friend just for her movie premiere in a few weeks. When she'd asked him to accompany her, the request was so strange and he'd found himself agreeing without truly thinking upon such a trip's pros and cons before making his decision. However, since she'd hugged him when he'd affirmed his presence, Sheldon asserted it was a fair trade off.

She'd changed him in ways that surprised him even now, and the amount of change was more than she would ever be able to fathom. It was strange, to say the least, that he'd taken such dramatic change in his demeanor and persona so well and without too much of his incessant thought on it. However, he saw the differences staring back at him in the face every day when he used the mirror, and he could not avoid seeing the palpable disparity. While to someone less observant Sheldon would look and act no different, to someone acutely aware of the man would notice the softening in his vibrantly blue eyes, the relaxing of his shoulders and posture, and his overall mannerisms that were such a defining factor. There was a distinct air of compassion there that hadn't been present before, a sense of humility and comprehension that there would always be those who were more proficient than he in certain areas. Looking at his reflection in the mirror that morning while shaving had made all the transformations fully sink in and the shock had driven him to his present state of jittering nerves and excessive pacing. What was he to do about this state o—!

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"_Sheldon!_"

It took three long strides for his lithe form to reach the door, and with a quick flick of his wrists and an application of force, he swung it open to reveal the blonde on the threshold.

"Penny?"

"Quick! Turn on the TV!"

He gave her a peculiar look but obeyed without a verbal question. Her strange, childish excitement was infectious and prompted him to ask her which channel.

"I think it's on 61, hurry!"

With a few presses of his thumb on the remote in hand, the channel was brought up at the end of a Verizon commercial. Sheldon seated himself in his spot beside Penny as she practically bounced in place. He watched her, her energetic motions causing a slight upturn of his lips. Her blonde hair, free of any confines bounced about her shoulders in golden waves, the bronze column of her throat playing peek-a-boo with his gaze. Viridian irises seemed to glitter with each excitable bounce, her rosy-hued lips turned upwards in a perpetual smile that showed her delightfully straight, white teeth. He was pulled from his observations by her hand squeezing his upper arm as she made an excitable noise, pointing to the screen. He followed her gaze and watched as a movie trailer began to play on the large LCD screen. A duet of sorts comprised of piano and guitar softly emanated from the speakers as an image of a blonde alien female faded in from the blackness, her form a mix of dark and light that stood out against the vibrantly colored background scenery. He took a moment to study the brown skin, golden hair, and very, very green eyes. She—wait, was that Penny?

Sheldon was fleetingly startled at how the heavily made-up visage of his neighbor looked anything but human in that moment, yet still somehow so painfully, amazingly familiar. So this was what she was doing every day in New Zealand. He leaned forward, intrigued at the sudden fascination he felt regarding the elegant heroine. The scenes flashed across the screen, depicting Penny's character interacting alongside the male protagonist of the film. She had evolved so entirely into this role and yet remained so distinctly Penny that the alien and human became intimately intertwined within his perception. The way the dark-skinned female moved through her scenes and interacted with the hero was so precisely like his blonde neighbor and yet the actions only served to create this alien female her own identity. He watched with a sudden pain as tears began to pour from Penny's character's eyes as she gripped at the male lead. He felt a definite tightening of his chest at her intimate connection with the protagonist. Her director had been right in his casting choice—a good decision from what he'd seen of the man. Her character seemed to be begging him to stay, but it was hard to tell with her words being in another language and without subtitles.

_"Selhden! Qau wre'al teus?"_

Sheldon was momentarily caught off guard at the precise, fluid pronunciation of Penny's words and the ease with which they were spoken. It was as though the strange, alien tongue was truly her first language. The words sounded so different from anything he'd heard before, even more distinctive and different than the Na'avi language from _Avatar. _He was entranced by the beauty of the strange dialect and astounded at imagery on the television screen before him. He was enrapt.

_"Aiòn, ch'a laeldo fan."_

_ "Deman, anle choau."_

The actor—she said, Jim Parsons, right—who played the "Selhden" character smiled gently at Aiòn, placing his pale hand on her darker cheek. Small markings on her skin began to glow gently as the rain and something else glittered as it fell around the embracing duo on the screen.

_"Anle choau sja."_

Everything darkened as flashes of terrifying scenes passed between the blackness, desperate screams from whom he perceived as innocent civilians echoing until everything finally faded and remained in blackness. The title of the movie flashed across the screen, _FLUX,_ it said before fading and the date it would come to theatres appearing instead. As the numbers began to fade, Penny's voice echoed over the fading information,

"_VANOA NRI'AH FAHN!"_

And suddenly, it was over.

With wide eyes, Sheldon sat back against the soft leather of the couch. He had become so enwrapped in the preview and the intensity had rocked his mind and the very flesh over his bones. He looked over at Penny, who was biting her lip in anticipation of his reaction, the eager and nervous expression flushing her cheeks, white teeth reddening her soft, supple lip, and her eyes sparkle with poorly concealed pride. He breathed out.

"That was marvelous, Penny. I am quite impressed."

She let loose a strangely endearing sound and proceeded to hug him suddenly and fiercely. The unexpected contact took him by surprise and his body tensed out of instinct but the deliciously clean scent of Penny was able to relax him. Hesitantly, he patted his love gently on the back.

"I'm so glad you liked it! It was so difficult to make and everyone worked so hard and it made it all worth it that you like it!"

Sheldon felt himself blush as she held him, clearing his throat, "I do have an inquiry for you."

She pulled back, a look of slight anxiety shining through her brilliantly green eyes.

"What were you saying?"

She smiled coyly, the anxious look vanishing with a blink of the eye.

"That, I cannot tell you. You have to wait until the movie."

He frowned at her, "That's particularly cruel, Penny. Is there a reason you are choosing to leave me ignorant?"

She only winked, and he felt his eye twitch in irritation and affection.

"So, Sheldon, are you ready to come with me to get my dresses fitted? Maybe Franz can hook you up with something too!"

"Why would I need new clothing?"

She shot him a look and merely arched an eyebrow. She didn't think fondly of his fashion choices, but surly what she picked out for him the last time they went shopping together would be more than adequate.

"Well, you obviously have _crap _for formal attire, and we can't have you seen at the premiere, a formal situation, in a _plaid _sport coat! You need a suit or something!"

Sheldon scowled, "What about the suit you forced me to buy when I had to give that speech? After receiving the Chancellor's Award? I do not honestly wish to remember said occasion."

Penny paused, but then frowned, "I'd normally say sure but I don't think we'll match all too well."

"Match?"

"Yeah, you know, since you're gonna' be my escort for the L.A. premiere," she replied, "it'll be the best if we can have our outfits go together really well."

He sighed, realizing the futility of arguing in the present case, "Oh, very well," he agreed. He would have ended up in accord anyway. He wanted Penny to look extraordinarily pulchritudinous on the red carpet, and if he managed to somehow look a fool it would not do at all. Her grin, however, made him somewhat nervous as well. What did the scheming woman have planned for him? Despite his views on religion, he said a silent prayer to his mother's Lord anyway. Just in case.

The car ride with her was silent aside from the quiet droll of the radio, the disc jockey chatting away before the opening of a song. She skimmed the channels, recognizing the opening riff of a Warren Zevon song playing on one of them and the hand on the dial went back to her steering wheel. Sheldon hummed in affirmation and approval at both her safer driving and from recognizing the melody as well.

"I believe this song is considered a classic."

She looked at him from the corners of her brilliant eyes, "You like Zevon? Since well?"

"I never said I liked the artist. I said I believed others had proclaimed this particular song to be a fine piece of musical art," he claimed, turning his own dazzling gaze to her.

"Hm, well it _is_ great to roll the windows down to and just belt it out," she grinned.

"Hm."

Both his sister and older brother used to make him watch Music Video Awards and other such drivel on television every year, so he was somewhat familiar with rock music and other various genres despite his general gravitation towards classical and soundtrack pieces. His mother was particularly fond of Christian Rock, for example.

"Let us hear it, then."

Penny made no complaint, grinning broadly as the lyrics were sung by the be-speckled songwriter. Sheldon glanced over at her, watching her sing aloud with glee and enthusiasm. He cocked his head to the side, curious. Had she taken singing lessons, perhaps? Her voice sounded much better than usual. She caught his gaze and paused in her performance, smiling warmly at him while her eyes sparkled with poorly concealed delight.

"Sing with me?"

He gaped awkwardly at her and she began the refrain with her lips still upturned in a grin, her eyes wide as she motioned energetically at him in efforts to make him sing. He sighed, knowing this was yet another losing battle and joined her, his rich baritone mingling nicely with her mezzo soprano.

"Aaoooooo! Werewolves of London! Aaoooooo!"

She laughed as they sang together, and Sheldon couldn't help the corners of his own lips from quirking up. He found he was actually enjoying himself in the silly act. As the final verse started, his neighbor leaned toward him as they sang along with it and the two of them belted it out together.

"Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen, doing the Werewolves of London! I saw Lon Chaney, Jr. walking with the Queen, _OOH, _Doing the Werewolves of London! I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic's, And his hair was perfect! _A-YUP! _Aaoooooo! Werewolves of London! Draw blood! Aaoooooo! Werewolves of London!"

By the end the two of them were laughing—she boisterously with a tiny little snort and he with those breathless wheezing laughs of his—and Sheldon could hardly process why but the act was incredibly fun, almost as much fun as playing Halo with Penny on his team. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence.

**- T – B – B – T –**

"Penny! Darling, you made it!"

Sheldon watched awkwardly as the eccentric, tall, and orange haired androgynous female with thin, black glasses hugged Penny. He was still surprised at the fact the designer was in fact a female in the first place, as Franz was typically a man's name. He supposed it fit the bill, however, considering how genderless the woman appeared.

"Franz, this is my friend, Doctor Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon, this is Francine Bellefleur. She's one of the first friends I made on set in New Zealand. I talked about you and the other guys a lot with her."

"Oh, so _you're_ the Doctor Whackadoodle I've heard so much about! What a pleasure. Don't call me Francine like Pen just did. She knows I hate it, Franz suits me better."

Sheldon was momentarily bothered by her use of Penny's nickname for him. For some reason he didn't like her using it, it actually stung when anyone other than his delightful blonde neighbor called him such. Dismissing his sudden revelation, he nodded, shaking her outstretched hand hesitantly. He winced as her pale, slender fingers crushed his; she had a tight grip! He resisted the urge to massage the sore appendage when she let go, instead rubbing his hands down with Purell.

"So, Pen, you're ready for your fittings?"

His blonde neighbor jumped in excitement, those breathtaking viridian eyes of hers glittering in that spectacular vigor. Sheldon's lips quirked again.

"Absolutely! I've been looking forward to this since we started designing!"

He smiled to himself at Penny's unbridled enthusiasm and excitement. After all, the woman had done nearly nothing but speak about this appointment for the past week or so. It was all she could talk about, it seemed. Heck, the woman could talk more about the appointment than he could about string theory, which in of itself was an accomplishment.

"Okay, honey, come on back. Shelly, you stay here, okay?"

He frowned at Franz's choice of nickname—only his mother and siblings called him that obnoxious pet name—but obeyed the command. The place was not his domain, and of that he would be respectful. His momma brought him up right. He took a seat in the cleanest looking chair and thought.

He thought about everything that had transpired since he'd walked in on his blonde neighbor dancing in her underclothes. All his emotions, his transformation, himself, and what he had become in the deceptively short time-frame. It was amazing what she had done to him and how she had done it.

Nothing bad had been inflicted, truly, as only positive changes stood out to him. He had become more considerate and sympathetic, especially around her. He respected others at a lower intellectual level, for he had discovered that without thought, amazing things could happen. It was inevitably unfair of him to judge others when he himself did not know the hidden talents of others. In Penny's case, it was her compassion and a long string of patience that granted her the ability to tolerate and befriend him and teach him to dance. It was she who had given him the realization that he could love another more than himself. She had become the reflection for his Narcissus.

She was the only reason he had become a better person, and he knew nothing would prompted him to become the bettered person he had morphed into had he not walked in on Penny in the first place. She had become a permanent fixture in his life,—another 0,0,0,0—someone he would alter his schedule for on any day at any given moment. It was so wrong, yet seemed so right, as overly cliché as the thought was—

"Sheldon, what do you think? It's not quite done, but …"

When he shook his head and turned his gaze her direction, words escaped him. Coherent thought evanesced like fine mist on an oceanfront breeze. He swallowed. She was wearing the first of her dresses to be fitted; an elegant cocktail gown that stopped at the middle of her bronze, taught thighs. The dress had a wide, scooping neckline that put her lovely—although obviously broken from a previous incident—collarbones on display while tiny sleeves hugged her shoulders before dipping down low and exposing the lusciously smooth skin of her back to the world. The front of the dress was simple with only delicate lace detailing around the neckline and a sparse arrangement of pearlescent beading decorated the top portion of the dress, the pale cerulean of the gown tapering beautifully in accords with her narrow waist. An array of the same tasteful, subtle beading extended into the elegant, layered skirt, edged in the same delicate lace that adorned the top half. To put it simply, it was stunning. She was stunning. She was still uniquely Penny, but she had somehow shifted to a more adult, sophisticated Penny. He didn't think he'd ever seen her looking so beautiful before. He swallowed again.

"Sheldon?"

He quirked a lip, well aware of his blushing face. "You look excellent."

A breathtaking smile from her was all he needed to know he had said the right thing. Sheldon stood from his questionably clean chair and strode over to Penny, wrapping his long arms around her to give her a hug that she eagerly returned.

"Damn, you two make a cute couple!"

Sheldon leaped away from her, aware of Franz's presence. He had forgotten she was there! Good god, what Penny could do to his perception of reality!

"Hey, tall and handsome, it's your turn."

Despite his protests, he too was dragged into the back for measurements. His last sight before the door shut was Penny standing alone in all her glory, laughing at his expression. It made the experience a little more pleasant.

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><p><strong>AN: **Hope it was as good for you as it was for me! trololo ANYWAY! REVIEW PLEASE! I accept anonymous reviews, so please, don't lurk! Let me know how you feel! Please and thank you!


	14. Genteel Concomitant

**A/N: **I am astounded. I can't thank you all enough! As of this posting, TGDR has a grand total of 88 favorites, 123 reviews, 151 alerts, and 30,025 hits. Wow. Just ... wow. I'm so humbled by your amazing response to this fiction. As an author, you've made me extremely happy. I can't express how wonderful it is to know that so many of you enjoy this little foray of mine. So, as a thank you, I've got this chapter up extremely early. You've all motivated me to great lengths and I hope this will suffice as repayment for all your support. Again, thank you so much and please enjoy. As always, I ask that you review to let me know your thoughts, regardless of whether or not you have an account.

I really can't thank you all enough. Please enjoy.

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><p>I am no Superman, I have no answers for you.<br>I am no hero, oh that's for sure, but I do know one thing for sure  
>Is where you are, is where I belong.<br>I do know, where you go, is where I want to be.

"Where Are You Going," Dave Matthews Band

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>It was finally her day. Penny stood in her bathroom, staring at her reflection in the slowly-defogging mirror. Green eyes blinked back at her, and wet, tangled blonde hair cascaded messily about her shoulders. She worried her lower lip with her upper teeth, wondering how the hell she was going to pull this off. She had a salon appointment in a forty minutes; Franz was picking her up in ten. She hadn't even been to a salon in months, despite already receiving her monstrous paychecks. She swallowed and shuffled over to sit on her porcelain toilet.<p>

This was so surreal, and Penny almost didn't know if she should believe it or not. Secretly she feared that one day she was going to wake up from this wonderful dream and find herself back with Kurt, living a miserable life. Swallowing nervously, she wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. Nothing good was coming of this pointless worrying and self-doubt. She was Penny Carlson, budding actress, dammit! No way were some little fraying nerves gonna' keep her from going to the premiere. With newfound courage, she stood and stalked out of the bathroom.

Standing in her room, she slowly pulled on some clothes. It wouldn't really matter what she wore now, considering it was freakin' eight in the morning. She'd be at the salon all day, getting pampered and beautified. Hell, if it wasn't for Franz she'd probably have just slept in till a few hours before the premiere and made a fool of herself. No, Franz wouldn't let her get away with it. Glancing at her phone, she smiled at the picture of herself and her two best girlfriends. Bernadette and Amy. They'd been over the night before and all three of them celebrated Penny's success. It was also then that she'd spilled the beans on her feelings for Sheldon …

_"You WHAT?" Bernadette shrieked, blonde hair whirling as she turned to stare at Penny._

_ "Oh shit," Penny slurred, cursing alcohol to hell for letting her big mouth move._

_ "I'm so pleased, bestie! I'm glad you've chosen Sheldon! He's by far the best choice for a mate out of the available males in our social circle."_

_Flushing—from both alcohol and embarrassment—the taller blonde sighed, "Yeah, well it's not so great when he doesn't feel the same way."_

_ "Oh, Penny," Bernadette consoled, "you don't know that for certain! Sheldon—Sheldon's different."_

_ "Bestie, I can't imagine why Sheldon wouldn't feel the same way about you. What with your perfect body and amazing personality, if I were of the male gender or swung that way I'd be ecstatic to hear you loved me!"_

_Penny laughed. She loved Amy and all her crazy, "Thanks guys, but it's probably gonna' be unrequited forever. I just have to wait for the pain to start to dull …"_

_The subject was changed and eventually the three went their separate ways, but Penny at least felt better that she'd told someone …_

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she pulled her hair back in a messy, spectacularly failed ponytail and wiggled into a pair of jeans. Franz would be here soon and she had to choose her dress for the evening. She paused, the flutter of the scarf her grandmother made distracting her momentarily when suddenly it came to her. She smiled broadly, knowing exactly which gown would catch her love's attention. Her phone rang, signaling Franz's arrival and Penny let her fears and anxieties melt away as she bolted down the stairs. Tonight was gonna' be magical, and dammit, she'd make that boy notice her. She was gonna' render him speechless if it was the last thing she did.

**T – B – B – T**

Sheldon stared into the mirror in the bathroom, attempting to fix a single fly-away hair that had been the bane of his existence for the past fifteen minutes. He was anxious. No, that was putting it too lightly. He was anxious and nearly to the point of insanity. Each passing second his stomach knotted just a little bit tighter and his heart pounded just a little bit faster from behind his sternum. It was all Penny's fault, he tried to rationalize. She had told him it was a non-optional social convention that he attend this extremely important function with her, and to tolerate the more foolish parts of Hollywood's celebrity society. Inwardly, he was conflicted. On one hand, he was upset with Penny and that she'd even asked him to escort her to begin with, while on the other he was extremely flattered and his love for her swelled to great sizes. Had he been attending with anyone else, he would have been feeling relatively fine. But no, he was escorting her. He would be escorting someone extremely important to him. His Penny was the star on this eve, and he would be on her arm. Tonight was the night of the premiere, and it was expected she attend for the red carpet photo opportunities and promotions that preceded the first showing. The entirety of Hollywood glamour was ridiculous to him, and yet he found himself needing to be perfect. Not for himself, no, but for her.

He wanted her to be respected for her talents and that shell-shocking beauty he knew she possessed. He had placed a large duty upon himself to reflect her excellent fashion, exceptional abilities, and her stunning attractiveness. In the weeks leading up to the premiere, he continually pondered her reasons for asking for his presence rather than that of her co-star, Jim Parsons. It seemed more logical to him, why take a Nobel Laureate for Theoretical Physics when she could take someone more relevant to her profession? He also wondered why she refused to go alone. It wasn't uncommon for some celebrities to attend such events unaccompanied. Letting out a sigh, shut his eyes, unable to look at his own reflection. He'd seen pictures and watched films of her co-star, that Jim Parsons, and he was aesthetically pleasing at levels that Sheldon felt were impossible for him to ever attain. His eyes opened and he glared at himself in the mirror, a newfound determination swelling within him as he finally tamed the flyaway with swift retribution. His acute hearing picked up the sound of the door opening and then closing, the clinking of keys in the key bowl alerting him of Leonard's return from his date with Priya.

Sheldon slipped from the bathroom without a sound to standing in the doorway leading from living room to the hall, his posture screaming stiff and uncomfortable.

"Hello, Leonard. I trust your date with Rajesh's sister went well?"

The be-specked man smiled brightly and turned to the taller man. He opened his mouth to reply, but Sheldon could read the surprise on his face as he took a moment to compose himself.

"What are you wearing, Sheldon? Is there a Caltech function I wasn't aware of … or do you have an important place to be? With a certain blonde, perhaps?" he teased.

Sheldon looked down at the outfit Franz had eventually settled on out of her wide selection of fashions. It consisted of a pair of dark gray, close-fitting slacks that felt far too tight, although Penny and Franz had both assured him that was how they were supposed to fit. He still had his doubts. A smooth, black leather belt with a simple, pewter buckle cinched the top of the pants and a surprisingly comfortable pair of black patent-leather dress shoes encased his feet. To his astonishment, they didn't make that annoying clicking sound he'd heard so often in the university halls when he walked. It was a major selling point. His pants were paired with a soft, white button-down shirt that was worn under a dark silvery-gray dress vest. In a small act of desperation for something normal, the Green Lantern's bright insignia faintly showed through the white fabric. His hair had been tamed nicely—finally, after a long battle—and he had taken extra care in making absolutely certain that he was effectively odor-free and would remain that way for the night. He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with his room-mate's staring.

"Tonight is _Flux_'s premiere. Penny asked me to be her escort for the evening, so I will be out rather late. She informed me that it would be expected of us to attend an after-party for at least a short while," he said as he meandered back to his room to retrieve the cornflower blue silk tie that Penny had informed him would match her gown for the evening. He stared into his mirror, expertly tying it in a Windsor knot. All those years of dressing for Chuch with Meemaw had forced him to learn the different knots, and before his father's death, the man had taught him how to tie a Windsor. Sheldon could honestly consider it the only thing the man had taught him he cared enough about to be grateful for.

"Premiere? Already?"

With a quick examination of his person and general aesthetics, Sheldon nodded and returned to the living room with a languid stride that gave the illusion of his usual confidence. Beneath his careful veil of serenity, his heart was pounding and his nerves were shot. Observant blue eyes spotted Leonard in the kitchen, fixing himself a glass of Lactaid. Sheldon inwardly shuddered at his unfortunate encounters with the foul milk impostor, cursing his eidetic memory and its' singular downside.

"Yes," he adjusted his tie nervously, "it is tonight. Why are you surprised?"

Leonard wiped away his white mustache, "Well, I haven't seen any previews. Have I missed them all?"

"Yes. I'm astounded at your ability to remain oblivious, seeing as SyFy airs them quite frequently. Although, you have been absent, choosing to be with Rajesh's sister increasingly as of late. Do you wish to see one of the trailers?" Sheldon asked, seating himself before his XPS.

His roommate followed after a moment, coming to a stop just behind him and looking over the taller man's shoulder, "Yeah, if you don't mind."

Sheldon opened his browser, "I would have thought you would be more interested in Penny's acting endeavors. After all, you did date her once," he quipped, feeling slightly defensive for some illogical reason. Perhaps this was the Alpha Male within him rising up in the potential threat toward his chosen mate. The thought of Penny as his mate made his ears flush pink. Curse this traitorous flesh!

"Well, I've been busy with Priya, I guess. I care, but I've—I've moved on from Penny. She's a great woman, but, well, we were kinda' a hot mess, you know?"

Sheldon snorted, "As I tried to tell you many times during your unfortunate relationship."

Leonard smiled, shaking his head as the Texan opened YouTube and searched for _Flux_'strailers, choosing the first one that came up in the results. He sat back in his chair after adjusting the volume on his XPS, allowing Penny's incredible acting talents and emotions to enveloping his senses. Every time he saw these trailers, he found it hard not to imagine himself on the receiving end of her affections. Such a desire was obviously illogical and incredibly selfish of him, but Sheldon was in love with the frustrating blonde and as he had concluded at an earlier date, she often provoked irrational emotional states to arise in him. To frustrate him further, she only believed them to be friends as given by her frequent statements, but Sheldon could dream, couldn't he? He could allow himself this silly flight of fancy, simply because it was his and his alone. Dreams were the only place he could have her, it seemed … and said dreams were slowly becoming more and more explicit as time went on. He swallowed nervously, his hyoid bouncing in his throat, as those frenzied emotions rose within him and shot heat straight to his groin. As the trailer ended and Penny's voice resounded through the close-approaching release date, Sheldon pulled himself from his fantasies.

"Wow. That was really innovative," Leonard praised, "It looks really impressive. I had no idea Penny was such a talented actress. I wonder why she never got callbacks before now …"

Sheldon refrained from proudly stating his role in her reaching such a state of excellence, "Clearly all the asinine directors were foolishly unable to see her undeniable charm and skills."

Leonard looked at his roommate with a warm smile, clapping a hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"Well, all I can tell you, buddy, is that you are one lucky guy to have her."

Blue eyes narrowed as brows furrowed, "What do you mean? How am I considered lucky when all I will be doing is appearing out of place? I will be bringing down her appearance of excellence, as I am a theoretical physicist lacking any connections to Hollywood. Granted I am an exceptionally important person, but I hold no relevance to her or her scene, as it is called. My presence at her side this eve could potentially initiate cruel gossip that is so frequent in today's media. Such a thing could damage Penny's reputation as a budding actress," he paused, looking down at his hands with an intense self-loathing that was unlike him, "I do not wish to bring her harm that is so close to that which I received in school, and I fear my presence could inadvertently damage her career."

Leonard was silent for a long moment before he laughed, loudly. Sheldon felt his face burn in embarrassment and anger.

"You really feel that way?" the be-speckled physicist asked, shaking his head,  
>"While that's real noble of you, just look at yourself first, Sheldon! You look, well, <em>really<em> good. You're not the same kid who the bullies picked on in school anymore. You don't even look like a kid for once. No, you actually look like someone important and influential. Hell, you are important and influential! You're a Nobel Laureate, Sheldon, and for once you look like a serious adult. Jeez, I'm still kinda' stunned at how good you look. I mean, jeez. Talk about front cover of GQ Magazine," Leonard joked before sobering, "You're still you, though, despite all the outward changes. I mean, who else would have a DC hero's insignia under their otherwise formal ensemble? Only you, Sheldon. Only you and Penny should be proud to have you tonight."

"I—I'm not quite sure I follow," Sheldon murmured, the perplexed look still on his face.

"Have I not explained enough?" Leonard rinsed his glass out in the sink, before drying it as he turned to Sheldon and adjusted his glasses, "If you're worried about giving Penny a bad image, don't. You may lack social graces as a whole, but you can fake it. Besides, I doubt you'd be interacting with many people tonight. It's basically just a movie showing, but with a long red carpet. If you need to interact, think for a second. How many films have you seen and how many heroes have smoothed over any issues with speech? Put that eidetic memory you have so much pride in to use," he said, tapping his left temporal region.

"I … see," Sheldon murmured as his eyes widened in slow understanding. He was surprised at Leonard's sudden insight.

"Just think about it. Try the eloquent Spock mixed with Kirk's overwhelming confidence. Try Bruce Wayne's way he carries himself, et cetera, et cetera. I could go on, but do you get it?"

"I understand. I do believe this advice has been exceptionally helpful," he licked his lips, "thank you, Leonard."

The shorter man went over to his laptop and settled down into some work while Sheldon sat in his spot and stared at his hands, brain working overtime. His beautiful mind was on a rampage, perusing his long list of movie characters he found relevant to social graces and powerful charisma. He needed to be polite, confident … perhaps somewhat aloof and relaxed. He thought of Cary Grant, Christian Bale, Clint Eastwood, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck … male actors he considered to have given exceptionally suave—for lack of a better defining word—performances. He would be emulating some of Hollywood's greatest male leads. He could do it. His hands clenched and unclenched with his fraying nerves.

A triple knock sounded on the door to 4A, prompting Leonard to stand and open it. Sheldon found himself frozen, his anxieties skyrocketing. Penny. Penny was at the door. She was here, and he would have to go with her. He took a steadying breath, braced his hands on his knees and stood, eyes glued to the floor. He walked over to the door, finally looking up at the woman in his doorway. His breath caught and he didn't think he would ever be able to take another one ever again.

She was wearing another of her dresses she'd been fitted for, one he hadn't been able to see. It was frightfully familiar and his heart pounded even harder in his chest. The neckline was a small, angled cowl-neck that revealed her clavicles to his view. The overlapping satin blended down into the same soft cornflower blue silk of the rest of the dress. Just below her waist on her left hip, a brooch of a painfully memorable symbol marked the gathering of the floor-length, silken skirt and allowed her long, taut, bronze legs to be viewed when she shifted her weight. Her feet were clad in simple black stilettos, the minimalism of her footwear allowing the gown to stand out. Her eyes that were delicately rimmed with charcoal liner, dark mascara, and topped with a sheer sweep of heliotrope shadow that darkened at the outer corners made her twin viridian irises seem to glow. Her glowing face was fresh, natural-looking and clear. Her skin shimmered in the light from his apartment, making her appear otherworldly. Her golden hair was wavy and natural, accented by sweeping loose curls and a single, silver Penny Blossom on the right side just above her ear. She held a box in her hands. The overall familiarity was not lost on Sheldon and he had to force himself to breathe.

"Hey, Leonard. Sheldon, you look—you look amazing," she murmured, those brilliantly green eyes stunning him again.

"I—I find your ensemble exceptionally aesthetically pleasing as well," he managed to croak out, cursing the way his body betrayed him. He heard Leonard chuckle and move away from the door. Penny's eyes never left his as she smiled brilliantly at him and he swallowed the strange lump in his throat.

"I have something for you," she said, handing him the box, "and don't worry, there's no need to reciprocate."

Hesitantly, he opened the black box and blinked. His blue met her green and her smile brightened.

"T-Thank you, Penny," he said, gingerly removing the sleek, silver pin from the box and affixing it to his vest. She helped him with the pair of silver cuff links bearing the same symbol as the pin, and when they were on, he examined them with wonder.

"I wanted to make sure we matched, you know?" she said, smiling demurely and gesturing to the brooch that bore a similar symbol.

"I have an irrational urge to go clothe myself in my Spock costume after seeing your take on Nurse Chapel's uniform," he replied evenly, "Despite the obvious changes, I find it rather enthralling."

She flushed and he marveled at her outstanding beauty, "I'm glad you like it. Franz was amazing with the design process. Are you ready to go?"

With a nod, Sheldon made his way past Leonard and into the hall, following Penny down the stairs. They managed one flight in silence before the beautiful blonde looked at him and spoke.

"There's a limo waiting outside for us. But Sheldon, we're riding with some of my cast mates."

Smothering a scowl, the tall Texan sighed, "I see. Might I know who said cast mates are?"

"Well, I think it's just Jim, and if he has a date, them too."

Sheldon nodded, "Very well. How long will it take to reach our destination?"

She chuckled as they reached the mailboxes, "Probably no more than a half hour at most."

Nodding again, Sheldon held open the door for her—like a good gentleman should, he heard his Meemaw say in his head—and followed her out into the cool, early evening California air. The limo was shiny and black, the chauffeur standing by the back door waiting. Penny smiled up at him and he felt his lips quirk in response. He gave a short bow before extending his elbow to her, to which she giggled and looped her arm through his. She leaned her head softly against his bicep as they walked together toward the limo. Sheldon had a feeling it would be an exceptional evening.

And how right he would be …

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><p><strong>AN: **Well, that's it. Again I ask that you take the time to review, whether it be criticism or compliment, anonymous or signed. I will respond to any questions (so long as it doesn't spoil the plot!) and I love feedback! Please and thank you!


	15. Intrinsic Vacillation

**A/N: **Woo! Sudden inspiration makes everything easier, I swear. The song lyrics for this chapter, I highly suggest you listen to it as you read. Dunno, I think it just makes everything better. Anyway, this here chapter is ENTIRELY NEW. That's right, people! NEVER BEFORE SEEN CHAPTER RIGHT HERE! No mere editing, my dear readers, no. This one is entirely brand spankin' new. I hope you all enjoy it, because I particularly like it. Anyway, I leave you all to your reading. As always, when you're finished please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts on this new bit, especially you old readers! ENJOY!

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><p>Stand tall but running thin, I'm wearing thin …<br>I'm not leaving without a fight … Just 'cause I'm wrong it don't make you right …  
>And through everything we've learned, We've finally come to terms.<br>We are the outsiders.

"The Outsiders," Needtobreathe

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

Written by Amputation

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><p>The longer he sat in the car, the more his already-frayed nerves disintegrated further into a slew of spidery threads, ready to snap at a moment's notice. He swallowed. The two men in the car across from him were both fine examples of excellent Hollywood aesthetics. His blonde neighbor beside him conversed smoothly and with a well practiced ease that he suddenly wished he had. Her cinematic partner Jim was in fine form, and Sheldon found himself quite liking the man. Not only was he courteous, he was actually quite clever—despite being far, far below his own level of intellect. The man was a perfect example of southern gentlemen, and his mother would have approved.<p>

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Sheldon. Penny's told us so much about you and I'm grateful to know the man who personally designed my character."

Startled somewhat from his inner musings, he managed to offer a nod of recognition, "Noted. My up-to-date research suggests that I commend you for your thespian prowess."

Penny giggled at the look on Jim's face, and the man with him—Sheldon recalled that he was introduced as Todd—grinned widely, obviously withholding laughter himself.

"Jim, do you need me to translate for you?" she teased, turning to look at her escort with a radiant, proud expression. Sheldon actually felt his heart give a sudden, wild lubb-dubb from behind his sternum. His mouth ran dry.

"No, no. Thank you, Sheldon," Jim replied with a smile of his own, "so Penny mentioned in passing you're a theoretical physicist? With two doctorates?"

"Yes. I achieved my first at age sixteen in Germany, and the second at age twenty. I was recently accepted as a Nobel Laureate for my research done regarding String Theory and its relationship to the fabric of the universe."

"Wow," Todd interjected, "that's pretty crazy. You must be really smart."

"He'd have to lose a ton of his IQ to be considered 'smart,' Todd. He's a genius! And I really don't think tests can adequately measure his intelligence," Penny chided warmly, placing a slender hand on his arm. He stared down at her with wide eyes, and he felt an enormous surge of adoration wash over his being. This woman—he could never be without her. He fell in love all over again.

The rest of the car ride was spent primarily in "small talk" as Penny liked to call it. It was painfully obvious how comfortable his neighbor was with her co-star, and it made Sheldon feel isolated. He found when applied to Penny, he despised the feeling with a passion that disturbed him. Todd easily contributed to the duo's conversation regarding the attendance at the premiere, but the physicist held back. Why he did so was something he felt he could not explain even if he tried. He turned to glance out the window at the passing evening scenery. This was Penny's night, and he needed to make certain he didn't misrepresent her.

In his opinion, she should have picked someone else. He felt it was only right that he be by her side, but he was not accustomed to such extravagances that Hollywood liked to throw at the famous. It made him nervous to be put on the spot and under such scrutiny by people he did not know. Contrary to popular belief—popular meaning Penny, his roommate and comrades in science—Sheldon wasn't immune to the looks he got, nor the things said about him behind his back. Yes, he wasn't the best socially, no; he didn't really know how to quell his incessant need to be right, or how to allow for deviation within his rigid schedules. It was both a blessing and a curse to be intelligent, he felt. It was a blessing to be able to educate others on the amazing aspects of the universe and how they work and a curse to be looked upon as someone with potential developmental disorders. He knew that some believed him to suffer from Asberger syndrome. He'd become alarmed at that insinuation when he was seventeen and decided it would be important to figure out if they were right. When the test results had come back negative, it had been a relief.

He feigned confidence easily, but over the course of meeting Penny, Sheldon had become painfully aware of all his shortcomings. He was forced to confront his phobias, his ritualistic obsessions, and his entire existence. He found himself to be a mess of a man, a mess of Homo sapien because he'd also come to understand that Homo novus was still a far cry from who he was. Homo novus wasn't supposed to need emotions or earthly attachments like friends or relationships. Clearly, he failed spectacularly at both.

He blamed—or thanked, it was debatable—Penny for his gradual self awareness. If she hadn't come to occupy 4B, he knew he would have continued to live in blissful ignorance of his faults. He would have continued toting around as though he himself were the ideal being, the perfect specimen, all because he was smarter than the vast majority of people in the world—possibly the universe, but one cannot be certain of alien intelligence, of course. Penny had forced him back to reality, as harsh as it may be, and made him look at himself not just on the surface, but down deep to that dark part of himself he never really wanted to come across before. He was forever changed by her intervention, and there was no going back.

He took a moment to let out a long breath, turning from the darkened pane of glass he was looking out of to fix his gaze on the lovely woman by his side. She was truly a vision, an ocean of calm and composure, like an oasis to a thirsty man. Just looking at her helped him relax and subdue his anxieties, and he found he wanted to watch her every move this eve. His eyes traced a path down her slender neck to her smooth shoulders, to the soft, curvy lines of her hips and excruciatingly long legs. She looked round where he was all angles, and not for the first time he found himself marveling at nature and biology. Her slightly bouncing, stiletto-clad foot caught his attention and his eyes focused in on the narrow flesh of her ankle, the prominent distal end of her fibula tapering down to the edge of her shoe gracefully.

The brooch that pinned the waist of her gown caught the light and he found himself smiling. She would never know how delighted he'd been to see the creation she'd dreamed up. He inwardly wondered if she had chosen Nurse Chapel as her inspiration for the lovely fashion design because of the character's love of Spock. He hoped the idealistic implications carried over. His deep desire for her both emotionally and physically no longer surprised him in the slightest. He had accepted it as both a burden and a challenge. He was pulled from his romantically-inclined musings as their mode of transportation slowed.

As the limo pulled up to the red carpet, Sheldon's eyes grew wide at the plethora of paparazzi present. His knuckles grew white from where he clenched his hands on his lap and he found himself shivering slightly. He vaguely remembered the disaster last time when he got up on stage and cringed. He watched Jim and Todd exit, hand in hand, and let out a slow, steadying breath. He looked to his blonde neighbor, and his nerves seemed to settle at her state.

Wringing her hands in her lap, tendrils of gold silken hair drifting down to her face, she worried her lower lip with her teeth. She looked incredibly nervous and fearful. It was to be expected, he thought logically, seeing as she'd never walked the red carpet before. He wanted to comfort her, to offer a sense of support but he found himself lost on what to say or what to do. He sat beside her, silently berating himself for being unable to take care of the woman he cared for so deeply. When he saw her trembling, he caved.

"There, there," he murmured as he gently laid a hand on her shoulder, "Sheldon's here."

She looked up at him with those brilliant viridian orbs, a wondrous expression on her lovely face. Those flushed lips curled up into a breath-stealing smile and he found himself falling victim.

"Sheldon, thank you. Tonight, you're my hero."

"It's only logical," he quipped, opening the door and stepping out into the flashing lenses of the cameras. He stood with his back to them, protectively hovering over the open portal to the vehicle for a brief moment before extending a hand to her, "I've already peeked, after all."

Her smile seemed to broaden and she let out an unrestrained laugh as her fingers intertwined with his. She stepped gracefully from the limo and stood beside him, hand in his, and staring up at him warmly.

"Let's go knock 'em dead, Moonpie."

"Only Meemaw can call me Moonpie."

She laughed again and gently pulled him with her down the illustrious glamour of the red carpet.

**T – B – B – T**

Being arm in arm with him like this made Penny felt like she could conquer the world. She felt powerful. Invincible. Unstoppable. Like a regular Juggernaut! The sudden thought reminded her of all her victories against him in Halo on that game type. Give her the stick thingy and nobody could touch her! She smothered a giggle. Her smile was so wide it was beginning to make her cheeks ache, but—muscles be damned!—she didn't want to stop! Having her physicist beside her filled her with a sense of pride and warmth and it made her feel secure in herself. He had been her rock for so long; she didn't know how she'd ever gotten by without him before.

Somehow she knew he was nervous. She couldn't really say how she knew, but maybe it was like some sort of psychic connection. Like he was her soul mate, her one-and-only, bound to her by that red string of fate. She'd heard somewhere that sometimes two people who are really close have this emotional bond and they can know when the other is distressed. She wouldn't be surprised if she had one with Sheldon. He'd call it hokum, of course, but she didn't care. She definitely had something special with her physicist. They'd bonded both with time and recent experiments.

The feeling of his hand in hers was indescribable, but she'd try, hell or high water. They were so much larger than hers, and his fingers were impossibly long. The way they slipped so easily between hers and wrapped around her knuckles made her feel safe, protected. It surprised her sometimes exactly how much _bigger_ he was compared to her. She took a quick glance to their interlocked hands and smiled. He might be gangly and all limbs, but he could be surprisingly graceful.

She could tell that the paparazzi were talking, trying to figure out who her handsome escort was. After all, the media outlet with the latest gossip got the most cash! She could just picture it now, all of these stupid people trying to figure out which actor he was because god-forbid she bring someone not from the acting world! God forbid she bring someone important and distinctly _not_ from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Screw 'em all! She had the best man out there! She smirked to herself and squeezed Sheldon's hand slightly, laughing a bit when he jolted at the gentle assault. He sent her a pleading, panicked look and she grinned in apology.

Penny thought back to what Mary had said about Sheldon. She'd claimed he was like a baby deer, that you had to wait for him to come to you otherwise you'd spook him. Looking at him by her side on this freakin' long carpet surrounded by flashing lights and the roar of a crowd, she could see how right his mother was. He looked the image of calm; the poster boy for aloof sexiness, but behind those impossibly-blue eyes of his she adored, Penny could easily see his panic, paranoia, and fear. For a brief moment she wondered if it had been a bad idea to bring him. It was obvious he didn't think he belonged at her side, but damn it all, she wanted him here! He belonged by her side tonight after all he'd done for her. Her thumb caressed his knuckles gently and his gaze snapped down to her. She could see the relief in his face and smiled softly.

She wondered how they looked together from another person's perspective; she with her blonde hair and tan skin and Midwestern charm and he with his dark hair, pale skin, and Texan drawl. Did they look strange? Did they look too different to be together? Even with the fancier outfits, she worried they didn't look good arm and arm. It was really silly of her to want this so much, but for some reason she really felt the need to look like she belonged with him, because she was so out of his league.

If someone saw them in more normal clothes, it might be said the opposite but Penny knew he was worth more than she. While she prided herself in being a catch and knew she was attractive, Sheldon was just … different. He drew attention, maybe not always for the right reasons, but he had a _presence_ about him that was undeniable. She didn't. Hell, if she had half the presence he did she'd have landed a movie role before the age of twenty six! Smiling to herself, she slyly looked up at her escort. She owed it all to him.

He looked like he was growing more comfortable so she tugged gently on his arm to get his attention.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes, Penny?"

"We're almost at the end. Think you're gonna' make it, honey?"

He let out a long-suffering sigh, "Yes, I do believe I will, although I find myself adjusting to these unpleasant conditions already."

"Yeah, well at least you don't have to sit around and give interviews at the silly interview panel after the movie's shown."

"Yes. While I am not one for the emotion, in that especially, I do not envy you."

She snorted softly and rolled her eyes, "Come on, Moonpie. We're almost done here. Then we can get our seats and relax for a bit before the movie shows."

"Seats were assigned? Darn."

The look of childish disappointment on his face was enough to make her laugh. She placed a comforting hand on his chest, inwardly cheering when he did not flinch at the contact.

"Yeah, but I found the acoustic sweet spot for you. And I have Red Vines waiting."

He stared down at her with unblinking eyes and a slow, happy smile spread across his face, "Thank you, Penny. That was most thoughtful of you."

She flushed at the heart-felt gratitude, "It was nothing. Come on, Moonpie. Let's get off this damn carpet. My feet are killin' me."

"Only Meemaw can call me Moonpie," he grumbled in reply, trailing behind her and trying to hide his crooked smile.

Penny playfully rolled her eyes. They made an odd couple, neither of them truly fitting into Hollywood society, but together they'd march to the beat of that different drum with heads held high. Different or not, it was going to be a good night, of that she was certain.

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><p><strong>AN: **So, what are your thoughts? Don't say them aloud, silly! Write it in a review and let me know, either anonymously or signed! I appreciate any and all feedback! So get to writing, please and thank you!

On another note, I thank everyone for their support in this endeavor. As of this posting, TGDR has 138 reviews, 99 favorites, 163 alerts, and 33,142 hits. I am amazed at the overwhelming response from this fandom and 'ship! Thank you, every one of you for helping me along with kind words and mouse clicks.


	16. Amity Predilection

**A/N:** Holy shiite, guys. This right here is craziness. Longest chapter so far, and I hope it sates your need for moar ficz! It's also completely new and shiny! Oooh, sparkly! I had a bit of trouble with it though, so if it seems a bit sloppy I apologize. At least I managed to finish it! Anyway, I've started work and I'm extremely busy as of late, but I'll do my best to keep writing when I get the chance! So without further ado, enjoy the latest chapter and as always please review!

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><p>Without you I'm nothing at all<br>And life has the face of a morbid game.  
>With you nothing seems impossible,<br>It all seems to fit the frame.

"Roses," Poets of the Fall

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><p><strong>The Gravitational Dynamism Revelation<strong>

****Written by Amputation

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><p>Penny was somewhat subdued on the Tuesday following the Sunday L.A. premiere. The other two weighed heavily on her mind, and she found herself inert. In all her life, she'd never felt this way before. Her happiness and security had never been attached to anyone else, ever. Even as a little girl she was stubbornly independent and wildly free. She smiled to herself at the happy memories of her long-passed childhood. How she missed the simpler days. Spending hot summers with her older sister and brother down by the lake on Granpa's property, cuddling by the wood-fired stove in the winter all bound in blankets and each other until the feeling came back into frozen toes, and those bountiful springs when everything was in bloom so they could collect flowers for Mom's best crystal vase she kept on the dining room table. She never depended on anyone else to pick those water lilies from the pond with the snapping turtle in it. That sort of independence was how she approached her finances as a kid. She was stubborn, forgoing any sort of allowance because she wanted to work with Daddy in the shop or to help Aunt Tracy with the diner in town. She wanted to earn her money with more than just chores, more than menial work. She'd stuck to that until she left Nebraska.<p>

In California, things were different. She depended on Kurt—who earned more than she did as a bouncer—more than she should have. She put her trust in that behemoth of a man and with her trust her meager earnings, both of which amounted to nothing when she finally threw in the towel as that trust shattered for the last time. She couldn't keep playing Barbie for him, dammit. She was a Nebraskan woman, born and bred to be an independent. And it had been high time to take back the reins on the unbroken stallion that was her life.

Clutching the pillow tighter to her chest, the blonde stared at the blank TV screen. She wanted to be able to say she was a proud, independent woman but somehow she couldn't. Not when she felt this way. Not when she felt the burning need to have his shoulder to lean on. Burying her face into the softness of the pillow's fabric, Penny sighed loudly. Ever since she'd attended that damn premiere with her crazy, Whack-a-doodle neighbor she couldn't get him out of her head. Just the thought of him willingly taking a place beside her, offering her his arm, and complying with her chaotic plans seemed to fill her with warmth that threatened to become a full-on fever if she wasn't careful. Since it was Tuesday, he'd be expecting her to make him his burger in only a few short hours. Her nerves tingled in excitement at the thought of seeing him again, but at the same time she almost didn't want to, her recent revelations regarding her dependence on him weighing heavily on her mind.

The loud beeping of an incoming call from her Skype drew her from her Sheldon-filled delusions of fancy gowns, sparkling champagne, comfortable camaraderie, and a staggering reliance that tinged the otherwise pleasing flavor sour. Falling off the couch in her urgency to answer the call, the blonde barely managed to hit accept on her keyboard.

"Penny? Penny, are you there?"

Hefting herself up off the floor, the disheveled blonde shot a disgruntled grin at her sister, "Sup, Aubrey?"

The wide, green eyes of the auburn haired woman crinkled with laughter, "Did you fall trying to answer this call?"

"Maybe. You'll never know."

Aubrey laughed boisterously, and Penny allowed herself to look over her sibling. Growing up, she and 'Brey were complete opposites. The older sister was the smart, studious type with glasses while the younger liked to party and have a good time. Penny was blonde, bronze, lithe and curvy in all the right places while 'Brey had that dark hair, pale skin that never tanned, and a heavier, more masculine build but with some rockin' hips the blonde always secretly lusted after. Looking at her married sister now made her heart lurch. Age had been kind to her, not to mention that magical something that happened after she married the New Englander Theodore. She radiated bliss, and that joy made her look absolutely beautiful. It was another thing Penny was ridiculously jealous of, despite her happiness and approval.

"No, so I swear there's a reason I'm calling, not that I need one even though you're a big star now!"

"Come on, 'Brey," Penny whined, embarrassed, "I'm not a big star yet! It was just one movie!"

The older woman rolled her eyes and tossed her thick hair over her shoulder, "Yeah, okay, whatever. Anyway!" an excited look danced in green eyes from behind thin, black glasses, "so I saw some pictures of you at your premiere on the internet."

Penny's jaw dropped, "They're up already?"

"Yup," her sister drawled, popping the 'p', "And oh my god, Penny! You were so beautiful. That dress was gorgeous, and you were easily the hottest girl on the carpet."

The blonde flushed, "Really? You think so? I had that gown custom made, so I'd hope I looked good."

"Custom? You kidding me?" 'Brey groaned, "I am so jealous that you can afford that! There's not much a nurses' salary can buy me these days."

Penny frowned, "You having trouble? Does Theo know?"

"No, no!" Aubrey shook her head, "Nothing like that. I just wanted to pick your brain about the night." A devilish grin crept onto her sister's face and Penny suddenly wanted to hide, "So, Pen, who's the guy you're with?"

Groaning, the blonde felt her face heat and she buried it in a nearby pillow, "How did I know you were going to ask me about him?" she bemoaned.

"Oh, quit the display, Drama Queen, and just gimme details!"

Letting out a sigh, the blonde rested her chin atop the pillow, "Well, remember my neighbors I told you about last time you called?"

"Yeah, I think so. Wait a second, you said Leonard had glasses and he didn—oh my god, that's Doctor Whack-a-doodle, isn't it?"

Penny could only nod.

"No way! Holy crap on a cracker, Pen. Jeez. Why didn't you go for him first?"

"I—what?"

Aubrey made a crazy gesture with her hands in disbelief, "Are you kidding me? The guy is smokin'!"

Penny flushed again, worrying her lower lip with her teeth, "I know that now," she murmured sadly.

"Oh no. I know that face. Pen, are you—are you in love with him?"

Another nod was the only answer the blonde could give as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Gack! Stop your crying! He's definitely into you!"

Wiping her eyes angrily, Penny sniffled in her distress, "No, he's practically asexual. He's definitely not into me that way. Maybe as a friend, but nothing else."

"That is utter HORSESHIT and you and I both know it!"

Blinking in surprise, Penny stared open-mouthed at her sister on the screen. Aubrey never swore. Not purposefully, anyway.

"Like hell isn't into you that way! For fucks' sake, Penelope! I am linking you the website with the pictures so you can see the way he was eyeing you on the carpet!"

Getting past all the angry vulgarity, Penny blinked slowly, "He was eyeing me?"

"Yup. It was crazy fluffy googol-love-eyes all over the place. If I hadn't just confirmed it from you, I'd have guessed you two were sleeping together, or at least shacking up."

"Aubrey!"

"What? It's true. See for yourself," she shrugged and a link popped up in the chat window.

The link was both ominous and inviting. Her cursor hovered over the text teasingly and finally she clicked. When she came to the webpage, she started scrolling through pictures of the stars that attended. Various oohs and ahhs escaped her before Aubrey finally snapped.

"Dang it, Penny! Just go to picture twenty two!"

"Jeez, what are you, a drill sergeant? God."

Arriving at the page made her heart stop. Was that _really_ them? Wide green eyes stared at the image on her screen, disbelief flooding her entire being. For a brief moment she marveled over Franz's creation and how perfect it looked before her attention was honed in on the people, not the outfits. In the image, she stood before Sheldon with one hand in his and the left resting on his chest over the Lantern insignia showing through his white dress shirt. Her spine was arched and her hips tilted in his direction and it was obvious that she was only paying attention to him. He was relaxed, his tall frame curved around her body somewhat to accommodate her presence. One of his large, long-fingered hands was caressing her left wrist, and his body angled perfectly towards hers. But what shocked Penny the most were the looks that they both had on their faces. Her eyes shone with unspoken promises and secrets that were held between two lovers and the wide, pearly, quirking smile spoke of a blatant joy in being in her escort's presence. But Sheldon's … his expression was in a league of its own. Those impossibly blue eyes spoke of a love so deep and it could never be measured, of an adoration so unfathomable none but she would ever feel the entirety of. His smile spoke of a tenderness she had never known, and a trust so implicit it could never be broken.

Wetness on her face was what pulled her back to reality and the sound of her sister trying to console her. Penny closed the internet, facing her distraught sister with a disbelieving look on her face. She was still in shock and barely picked up what her sister was saying.

"—god, Pen! I didn't know it'd upset you so much! I'm sorry!"

Wiping her eyes, the blonde started to laugh.

"Penny?"

"I love you, 'Brey."

A sigh of relief from the older woman resounded through their connection, "Oh thank god. I was scared I'd screwed up my baby sister."

"Yeah, it'll take more than that. You didn't screw me up. You gave me hope."

"Hope, huh? Well then. You best get planning and try to figure out how to tell that sexy, nerdy Doctor you love him."

Penny paused a moment before an inspired look crossed her face.

"I've got it! Okay, 'Brey, tell me if this is crazy …"

**T – B – B – T**

Sheldon sat on the couch in the apartment, trying desperately to drown out the horrendous Alanis Morrisette that was blaring out of Leonard's room. It had finally happened. Priya had returned to India and the damnable woman had slept with her ex-suitor. At least Leonard had the sense to terminate their relationship, despite his sudden lack of date for the Wolowitz-Rostenkowski wedding that was rapidly approaching. Sighing loudly for perhaps the fourth time in ten minutes, he closed his book and glared down the hallway. He could really only tolerate so much of this nonsense.

Closing his eyes and exhaling slowly to calm himself down, he focused his thoughts on the premiere night he'd spent with Penny. It had truly been a wonderful movie, and despite the characters being distinctly alien Sheldon had found the duo easy to sympathize with. Their journey to prevent civil war had been fraught with disbelief, dark emotion, and intense moments of danger. Although the climax was everything it should have been and more, he found himself feeling bittersweet at the separation of Aiòn and Selhden. He found it unfair that the latter of the two partners needed to go back to where he was two weeks in the future, leaving his beloved Aiòn behind. However, the very end gave him hope as it hinted at a reunion between the two partners. He'd left the theatre and entered his dearest friend's brief question-and-answer panel feeling satisfied and content.

Penny had been stunning, her allure heightened more so than usual. The way she'd carried herself though the questions, artfully deflecting ones she hadn't wanted to answer showed a side of her he rarely got to see. His Penny had been poised, flawless, and beautiful. He had wanted her to remain by his side more than ever that night. He'd especially enjoyed the way she'd avoided answering questions regarding his identity. She had been correct in her assumption that he preferred to stay in anonymity for all intents and purposes. That night was _her_ moment of glory, not his. She'd offered him a discreet wink at the end of the panel and retired to his side.

The after party she'd mentioned was both crazy and loud, neither of which he particularly wanted to be a part of. She had been considerate to him and her hostess, quickly making rounds to all her associates and complimenting the party venue and goings-on themselves before returning to him and offering to treat him to some ice cream. It had been long past his regularly scheduled eating time, but he relented for no other reason than it was Penny asking him. They'd indulged in their cones and arrived back at their respected apartments just after twelve thirty. How he'd wanted to kiss her goodnight! It had been almost too much to bear, but he'd resisted the allure of her plump—probably mint-chocolate flavored—lips and wiped a bit of melted chocolate from the corner of them instead. Those green eyes sparkled in the dim light of the hallway, and she'd quirked a smile before giving him the warmest hug he'd ever received. She'd disappeared into her apartment after a whispered 'goodnight' and he hadn't seen her since, although he knew he would see her tonight for his burger.

The lack of Penny brought up memories of her time off filming, and that feeling of isolation sent a tremor of pain up into his chest. Flinching, he fisted his fingers into the khaki fabric covering his thighs, his posture rigid as he waited for the phantom throbbing to pass. It had only been thirty two hours and twenty seven minutes since he saw her last, but it ached the same way it did when she'd been gone for all those months. He was well and truly attached and deeply in love with the blonde actress.

The sudden, obnoxious ringing of the phone brought him out of his emotional pain-ridden stupor and he turned to look at the piece of technology in its stand. With a disdainful look and a resigned sigh, he reached out and plucked it from its resting place.

"Ahoy, this is Doctor Sheldon Cooper speaking."

"Shelly? This is your Mama."

His face took on a disgruntled expression, "Hello, Mom. What has brought this call to fruition today?"

"Well, I just wanted to pick your brain about those pictures that're up on the internet your sister showed me."

For a moment, he panicked. Were there people taking images of him without his knowledge? He shook himself from his thoughts and answered his mother, "Photographs? Which photographs? I don't recall having any taken recently that would be of any merit."

Mary sighed heavily, her voice sounding tired but patient, "Oh, Shelly, you know. Surly you remember those pictures of you and that actress friend of yours?"

"You mean photographs taken by the paparazzi during Penny's movie premiere? Then yes, I do recall. I'm still surprised at how quickly information is distributed to the public these days." Oh, did he remember that red carpet walk. He'd undoubtedly never remember anything so vividly in his entire life.

His mother huffed slightly, "Yes well, I heard from Missy that you've taken a likin' to Penny?"

Sheldon let out a disappointed sigh, "I had hoped Missy would have taken my confession to be a sibling exclusive admission, but I suppose not. Yes, Mom. I have taken a liking to her, as you claim."

"Well, Lord, strike me down! I'm so happy for you, Shelly! But I haveta' ask, are you sinnin' with her?"

It took Sheldon a moment to reorient his suddenly perverse thoughts at her insinuation, "No, Mom. No. I have not engaged in coitus with Penny, nor do I think I will ever get the chance. I may find myself ensnared in the feelings commonly called love regarding her, but she does not return the sentiment the same way."

His mother let out a longwinded sigh and Sheldon could just picture her sitting at the kitchen table, knees crossed and her foot bouncing as she stared in that motherly way of hers at the seat he once occupied, "Shelly, I know you're real smart and have accomplished much, but that girl definitely loves you. Jesus has got a plan for you, Shelly, and I'll be damned if that Penny doesn't play a role in it."

"I hadn't realized we were talking about your God, Mom."

On the other end of the line, Mary huffed, "Just use that big ol' brain of yours, Shelly. Those pictures ain't hard to find, and I think you should go look at 'em. That love you two share is written plain as day on your faces. Now I gotta' go, but I'll call again soon. Love you, Sheldon."

"I love you as well, Mom. Goodbye."

Sheldon's thumb hit the end button and for a long moment he merely sat in his spot, staring at the phone in his hands. Things his mother had said stuck with him, for once. Despite his constant belittling of his mother in all things religious, he deeply respected the woman and in his life if she said she saw something, it was usually there. Suddenly determined, he set the phone back into its charging stand and rose from his seat to migrate to his XPS laptop.

Opening his browser, he did a quick search with concise keywords and easily came across the series of photographs from that night. Uninterested, he rapidly clicked through them until his gaze settled on the one of him and Penny. He swore he felt his heart lurch in his chest at the sight on his computer screen. His mother had been right; the two of them looked every bit the romantic couple. He did not oppose the match, no, that was far from the truth! In fact, he welcomed the idea with a suddenly hopeful heart. Perhaps there was a chance for him after all. A tiny, crooked grin crossed his lips as he saved the image to a folder with his other photos.

He was startled from his chair by the front door swinging open, and in his sudden bewilderment he nearly fell from his perch as he spun to face the entrance to his apartment. His breath caught at the sight of his blonde neighbor standing there, clad in meager cotton pajama shorts emblazoned with the likeness of a Japanese feline mascot and a gray, zipper hoodie with the word PINK stretched over her breasts. Blonde hair tumbled over her sloping shoulders and her face was devoid of makeup. No matter how dressed up or down she was, his heart still sputtered in his chest with joy.

"Sheldon? You okay?"

Shaking himself from his momentary idiocy, he nodded, "I am well. What brings you barging into our apartment before dinner preparation time, Penny?"

White teeth nibbled the reddened flesh of her lower lip, and one bare toe rubbed the top of the opposite, equally bare foot, "Um, I have a proposition for you, Sheldon."

"I see," he replied as he stood from his seat at his desk and moving to his spot on the couch. Tapping the cushion beside him, he locked gazes with her, "I believe I would very much like to hear your proposition."

Penny rolled her eyes and unceremoniously deposited herself onto the brown leather to his right, "Okay, so here's the thing. I have two more premieres, and they're in Europe."

"Understandable. Continue."

"Yeah, anyway I'm sure you remember that time we were both sick and you couldn't see that collider thingy—"

"You were the one who infected me, Penny. My memory does not fail me. It's the Large Hadron Collider, by the way—"

"Yeah, okay, whatever. So I've got the first premiere in London and the second in Paris. As a thank you for going with me, I was wondering if you'd like to spend a day in Geneva with me? You know, to see the Hadron thing. You can explain to me what it does and stuff."

Sheldon was stunned speechless, a feat that didn't happen often in his life. However, he was discovering a recurring theme with his speechlessness—it always involved Penny in some way. He observed her for a brief moment, noting the insecurity and hopefulness in her expression, her viridian eyes glittering and begging him to agree. The woman was devious, he'd give her that. She knew her way into his heart, tempting him with science. However, he was surprised to discover that even though she'd offered to bring him to see the CERN super collider he was more pleased she'd invited him with her in the first place, even if she hadn't offered the LHC consolation. His lips quirked.

"You strike a hard bargain. When do we leave?"

"Two days."

His eyes widened, "Good lord, woman! I need more notice next time, I have so much to pack!"

In his haste to get to his room for preparations he missed her victorious grin and eye roll. It was official; they were going to Europe together.

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><p><strong>AN: **I hope no one is mad I ended it there. I figured it was a decent stopping point. I promise you that this will have a good direction, and don't worry about Leonard's little heartbreak. He'll feel a whole lot better soon - HINT! - Anyway, please, please, PLEASE take the time to drop me a review. Your thoughts, your flames, your anything is thoroughly welcomed and appreciated! It really helps me move my butt in getting these out faster!


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